|
|
|
Interview with Lord Ahriman of
Dark Funeral
January 2006 by Sam Doherty
|
|
|
Dark Funeral have been favourites of mine for a good few years now, and Attera Totus Sanctus (the latest release) is brilliant. Lord Ahriman, guitarist and founding member consented to give us these
words by e-mail. Although I would appear to have got both my track titles and orifices muddled up, (not a good move) I still maintain that there’s more than a hint of anal sex in “Angel Flesh Impaled”. Then again, maybe that’s just my personal preferences rising to the surface……….
I’ve been listening to Attera Totus Sanctus for a couple of weeks now. Although it’s still very recognisable as Dark Funeral, it seems more hate-filled and brutal, almost a purer form of what’s gone before. Do you agree, and if so was this deliberate?
Yeah. To me the new album symbolise A LOT of hate! I didn’t fully realise it until the album was completed, but now afterwards, I can hear and understand how much fucking hate and frustration I/we had built up within us throughout the last couple of years, hate and frustrations that we ventilated completely when we wrote the songs for “Attera Totus Sanctus”. A lot of this hatred naturally comes from our, what it seems, never ending legal dispute and court battle with No Fashion Records (Nowadays NEG). Those motherfuckers have obviously decided to completely ruin everything we have built up during the last 13 years. And it surely has taken its toll on both our personal lives and the band. FUCK THEM! And fuck them again in the most twisted way you can imagine! We won the first round in the court. And we will win the next, and without any doubt whatsoever the whole lawsuit. It’s payday!!!
I particularly like the track “Angel Flesh Impaled”, but I’m a bit confused by the lyrics – is it really referring to anal sex?
I assume that you mean “Atrum Regina” and not “Angel Flesh Impaled”, right?! Anyway, since I’m not responsible for the lyrics I’m not the right guy to comment them in
depth, but it more or less refers to demon and oral sex, in a ritualistic way.
What was it like to work with Daniel Bergstrand, who has also produced In Flames and Strapping Young Lad? How was he chosen to produce this CD?
To work with Daniel and Örjan was killer. And I’m totally satisfied with the production we got on the new album. Our original plan was naturally to work and record with Peter again at his Abyss Studio, but we never managed to find a time period that would fit for both him and us. And at the same time Daniel contacted us and said that he would really like to produce our new album. And the more we thought about it, the more we discussed things with Daniel, the more sense it all made. It was time for us to move on, to try something new and to begin a completely new chapter in the Dark Funeral saga.
|
| |
|
The recording process took longer than expected. What problems did you experience?
We didn’t experience any problems whatsoever. Sure, it was a very rough schedule, but the recording session went along just fine. However we did have to add a couple of weeks as we needed more time than we originally thought to complete the album. You got to have in mind that we both wrote and recorded the album in the studio. So from the original 6 weeks we finally ended up completing the album after 9 weeks.
Will you be touring to promote the new album? And can we expect to see you in the UK again?
Sure. There will be a lot of touring in the next year or two. First off we will embark on a 6 weeks headlining tour throughout Europe, supported by Naglfar and
Endstille. Due to the overwhelming and a bit unexpected interest for this tour we have unfortunately been forced to divide the European leg in 2 (or more) parts. We felt that a 6 weeks run is far enough in a row. Unfortunately UK wont be included on this first run, but Dragon Productions, our booking agency, is currently working on putting together some dates in the UK, maybe Ireland and Scotland too at a later time. We are also confirmed or some festivals this summer. And after that I’m not sure if we’ll hit the US, Asia or South America first, but we are working on this right now. And we will tour as many countries as possible. |
 |
| |
You tour an incredible amount – 35 countries at the last count. What effect does this have on your personal lives? Is it a case of having to sacrifice jobs and relationships to the band?
If you want to play in a professional band and tour the world, as we do, it’s obviously impossible to have a normal 9 to 5 job. And that means that there are periods when we’re broke as fuck. But to financially survive in between the many activities with the band, which sometimes isn’t an easy task, we do our best to hook up with some extra jobs. Most of us have families these days and it certainly requires some extra planning to make everything work out while we’re on tour and so on. But if you are totally dedicated, have a strong will, and go out with the attitude that “everything is possible” things usually works out one way or another.
Dark Funeral are looking for new management at the moment. Does this reflect a desire to move up to a new level and spread your message further? Given the number of countries you’ve toured so far, that must be a bit ambitious, surely?
Yeah. To find a killer management would mean that we could fully concentrate on our music instead of all the business things and stuff that comes with it. So far I’ve personally been talking care of all the “management” things for the band. And I/we feel that it is taking too much time off from the music and my/our creativity, which after all is the main reason we are doing the band, the music!
And how does it affect you within the band? What do you disagree about? And who wins the arguments?
Oh, that’s hard to say. Usually we don’t have that many disagreements. Sure, sometimes it happens, and when it does, we discuss it, sometimes loudly, but we always find a solution that everyone can cope with. Everyone knows that compromises come with the game so to speak.
Is Satanism something you’re committed to or is it more of a fashion statement?
I’m a Satanist.
How seriously should we take some of your lyrics? Presumably you’re not suggesting that people should go out and murder Christians, but what does it make you feel when they claim it’s the music that led them to do these things?
Everyone is responsible for their own actions. And to blame a band or a music genre for “something” is as low, pathetic, unrealistic and stupid as it can get.
Close up magazine is this month telling the story of one of your fans killing a Chilean priest back in 2004. What other extreme things have your fans done over the years? And what do you think about it?
Honestly, I have no comments about this.
|
| |
|
 |
| |
|
On a lighter note, you contributed part of the soundtrack to Die Zombiejager, a comedy-horror film. How did you get involved, and what can you tell us about it?
Since I was 12 years old, I have been a collector and a great fan of splatter movies. And when
one day I was ordering some new splatter movies through this site I regularly visit/order from, I saw this ad about a new Swedish zombie movie that were under production. It raised my interest. So I sent them an email. At first, just to get some basic info on the movie. A few e-mails later we begun talking about soundtracks in zombie movies. Eventually I told them that I was playing in a band called Dark Funeral. And that if they were interested it would be an honour for us if they wanted to use one of our songs in the film. At that time they had never heard about us, and so I sent them our cd’s to introduce them to our music. They called me pretty much right after the first listen and said that they totally wanted to use one of our songs, “Thus I Have Spoken”. And that that songs would fit perfectly to the most extreme scene in the movie. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I can´t wait to do it. On a similar note, we have also been confirmed to appear with a song in the soundtrack of another Swedish movie, a classic
teen-slasher, called Murder Island.
Where do you see Dark Funeral’s part in the history of black metal? How much of an influence have you been, and to which bands or individuals?
I have no idea. And I’ve never really thought about it. I do however receive quite a few emails and letters from bands and people saying they are heavily influenced by Dark Funeral and our sound. It’s of course cool to hear, but since I personally never had any bands or musical “heroes” in that sense. I cant really cope with this whole “band worship” thing. There are of course several bands, musicians and certain individuals that I respect but that as far as I go, respect!
Is there anything you’d like to add to this interview?
Thanx for your support and interest in the band. For further information, news, tour dates among many other things I suggest that you visit our website at
www.darkfuneral.se
Hail Metal. Hail Satan
Lord Ahriman
|
|
|
