Apologies for the short interview which could only be conducted at the noisy bar of the venue; there was more to add, but unfortunately it couldn’t be heard on the Dictaphone.

OC: First of all, this is your first time touring the UK isn’t it?

Cruor: Yep.

OC: Do you have many touring plans for promoting the new album? Are you planning on going further than Europe this time?

Cruor: It’s difficult because we’re all still working, we’ll have to see when we can get holiday. Maybe though…I heard something about a tour with Mayhem, but we don’t know if we have time for it. Maybe…we’ll see.

OC: When would that be?

Cruor: I think at the beginning of next year. January, February, something like that.

OC: How important was it for you to sign to Regain?

Cruor: It was very important, because our label before Regain…

OC: Twilight?

Cruor: Twilight yeah…they didn’t do a good job outside of Germany. We want good distribution in other countries apart from Germany. Last time we did a European tour with Dark Funeral, we went over to Spain and our fans there told us that it was very hard to get our CDs anywhere. We looked in some of the record stores there and ugh…

OC: Didn’t find anything!

Cruor: No, haha! Regain are re-releasing our back catalogue next year though, in March.

OC: How has the new album been received by the press?

Cruor: I think it’s been very good for us, but there’s always going to be someone who says they don’t like it, but the majority like it.

OC: The production has improved quite a lot on each release…do you think you’ll eventually lose your harsh trademark riffs?

Cruor: We’ve got our own style I think…we won’t change that. When an album is finished we work out what we can do better for the next one and it’s the same for the song writing.

OC: Are there any new songs you’re particularly looking forward to playing?

Cruor: Yes! ‘Vorwarts’, because I think it’s a good song for the audience to get involved in.

OC: Haha, I was hoping you’d say that!

Cruor: Haha, yes, and of course I always like to play ‘Bastard’. Tonight is going to be the first time we play ‘Vowarts’ live and also ‘Among our Glorious Existence’.

OC: Is this your first gig since the new album came out?

Cruor: Umm…(ponders this for a moment)…yes, yes it is!

OC: Who inspires the band musically?

Cruor: Well we’re all inspired by Sodom, Destruction, Kreator.

OC: Ahhh, all the old German stuff!

Cruor: Hah yeah, but also Celtic Frost and Bathory of course.

OC: Do you take much notice of the German Black Metal scene?

Cruor: Ughhh…not really…the one reason why we decided to start up Endstille was because we thought the German Black Metal scene was disgusting. Though we did a split with a band called Graupel; they’re good!

OC: Out of curiosity, what do you think of Secrets of the Moon?

Cruor: Secrets of the Moon? We played with them once, I thought it was good…but I think we have some problems between the bands, we’re not best friends. I think they’ve got their own kind of sound though and they’ve made a name for themselves.

OC: Are there any new Black Metal albums you’re fond of?

Cruor: I liked the new Satyricon…’Now Diabolical’…of course Dark Funeral…there are….hhmmmm….for example Darkthrone…I don’t need to listen to any more Darkthrone albums you know…they just don’t touch me. I liked the last Disiplin record too.

OC: Now why…and I bet you’re asked this a lot…do only two of you wear corpse paint?

Cruor: Yeah we do get asked this quite a bit. Maybe tonight we’ll all wear it. Iblis (vocals) wanted to from the start, but the other two never really wanted to.

OC: Is it their mood?

Cruor: Mmmm, yeah, these days when they are in the mood they do…every night is different, it just depends on how they feel.

OC: Now, triggers. Most bands these days use them, but you’re totally against them. Even more unusual is the fact that you’re a Black Metal band with the Anti Trigger Campaign on the back of your albums. Why did you go about stating this in such a humorous way? Do you think Black Metal takes itself too seriously?

Cruor: The way we do it…we’re funny guys haha. Most bands use triggers, and they all sound the same. A drum kit doesn’t sound like “click click click” (makes a mechanical sounding noise) and a drummer is not a machine…he’s not a robot. I don’t know what the English Black Metal scene is like, but in Germany there are guys who think they are so evil…for example in Black Metal forums…when I read those I don’t know whether to laugh or cry hahaha! They’re so stupid, they do take themselves too seriously.

OC: This is more of a question for Iblis…but I guess you can answer it...does he have any kind of vocal technique or warm up because his voice is quite harsh?

Cruor: Yeah, before he starts singing he stretches his tongue and he sings pop songs or that kind of thing. He’s always practising too.

OC: He doesn’t have problems then, like losing his voice?

Cruor: On our first tour in 2004, it was just a German tour. I think he lost his voice after five days haha! He went to the doctor and had his throat seen to. Now he has a better technique. Today I think he’s a bit cold, but he should be okay.

OC: How many dates is this tour?

Cruor: Ah, just four dates.

OC: Oh, he should be okay then!

Cruor: Yeah, haha!

OC: That’s all, do you have any comments to add? Fuck Hell perhaps?

Cruor: Fuck Hell of course! Hahaha!

OC: What’s that all about anyway?

Cruor: Fuck Hell…it means…we say it…’who cares’ or something like that. It doesn’t have a deeper meaning haha.

www.endstille.com
www.myspace.com/endstilleband
www.regainrecords.com

Interviewed by Oliver Cass

MTUK HOME