Watain are without a doubt one of the most respected black metal bands in existence. Early albums Rabid Death Curse and Casus Luciferi ignited a virtual blaze in the Northern Sky, the likes of which had not been generated by many artists within this young and possible final millennium of mankind. Sworn To The dark, the new album was everything that could have been hoped for, bigger bolder and certainly not an album that sees any compromise of Watain’s artistry. This was an interview I really wanted set-up and it looked to be swimming down the piss flooded bog of the KoKo at one point after Watain had played a blistering 30 minute storm of a show.

Luckily Erik singer of Watain is the sort of person happy to mix with the audience and once I explained that I was hoping for an interview but it looked like there had been a lack of communications he was more than happy to get me backstage and discuss things with me in a genuine and totally unpretentious manner.

Thanks to Warren from www.blackmetal.co.uk forum for some of the following questions.

PW: How are things going with the tour so far?

Erik: I am finding it extremely good actually, pretty much what we were hoping from it. It’s a very broad variety of bands. 2 camps coming together the way I see it with Celtic Frost and us with the same aura and artistic view upon things. Kreator and Legion Of The Damned are straightforward, playing more traditional metal so I see that the audience is divided like that as well. For example in Germany when us and Frost are playing people are standing still and wondering what the fuck is going on, but places like here for example, they really get it. It’s strange to see how audiences can be divided like that between the simple stuff and (how to say it?) the more artistic way of doing things.

PW: You must be finding the time limits and short sets you are being forced into very frustrating. Are you sticking to the same songs each night?

Erik: Yes in the UK it has been disappointing. We have been keeping the set much the same as we have a pretty new line-up so we try to get the songs which are working. We considered many aspects when we worked out the set-list.

PW: What happened at Cardiff? Our Welsh comrades were upset that you didn’t play.

Erik: Ah fuck yes, they wanted us to go on at four in the afternoon and play for 15 minutes. Its not a big problem for us to go on early but in Cardiff it was just a bit over the top and we thought it was much better if Legion Of The Damned did the whole set.

PW: How did you feel when approached to be support for Celtic Frost, would you have ever envisaged something like this happening when the band started up?

Erik: I will never deny that we always had very high intentions for Watain. We never wanted to remain at one state, we always wanted to evolve, there had to be no limits. Looking at a band like Slayer, that’s the way we have to think, there are no boundaries. Touring with Frost, which as a band were one of the reasons we started up, whilst it seems a bit strange we can only think, yes fuck lets do it, this is the natural order of things. If you look at the fire, it spreads.

PW: Speaking of fire there was a church burning when the tour hit Tilburg, were you aware of this, or see it. Do you think it could have been sparked by an over-zealous audience member?

Erik: I heard about it afterwards, it’s really inspiring. If we can generate such strong emotions into people so they put them into actual actions, it’s really great. No matter what the actions are you are doing something that is altering the world.

PW: Are you planning a headlining tour in Europe / England this year, if so any hints on who this could be with?

Erik: Ah shit well it’s a bit too early to say as there are a few different options to consider. We want to try and reach the territories which we do not get to on this tour, like Eastern Europe where they have been good to us in the past. Unfortunately there is not too much to tell on this at the moment but it is going to be around September/October.

PW: Pigs Blood, obviously you weren’t able to use that here tonight, have you been able to use it at all on this tour?

Erik: Yes every night. Unfortunate but there was a lot behind the decision not to use it here.

PW: You had some maggots arranged instead but they were not used?

Erik: Yes well they looked a bit too fresh we will use them later on!

PW: Are they concerned about possible contraction of illness or disease by being in close contact to the blood?

Erik: No, not at all in fact, I mean I believe that the future is already written. If I am to be affected by the pig’s blood we use then so be it, but I find it pretty hard to believe.

PW: You have always seemed to get on well with England, things have certainly come a long way from that Verge gig, how do you compare English audiences with the rest of Europe?

Erik: Louder and a bit filthier! That’s what makes it worth coming here, tonight was really good even with the conditions we played under. You have to consider this is a really big tour and if I want to be on a smaller tour with us headlining there would be a different reaction. But here even bands like Kreator and Frost have to shower in the back side of the office along with their donkeys.

PW: That legendary T-Shirt you always wear on stage seems to be surviving.

Erik: Yes I always wear the same one, its sticking together. I think it has another couple of years.

PW: Are you actually going to be one of those rare black metal bands that manage to secure Visas and get over to the USA without a hitch?

Erik: Aha there’s lots of problems, we have to try at least and then we’ll see. I think it will happen, if you are determined about something. It’s a lot of work due to all the papers and regulations but I work 24 hours a day with Watain, I have no regular job so I have plenty of time to work on things.

PW: What are you expecting from places like Mexico and Chile, fans can be pretty damn crazy in S America?

Erik: Well I try not to expect anything but I think I expect quite a lot to be honest. These are huge fucking venues and we are getting a lot of response from South America.

PW: You surprised a few people by signing licensing deal with Seasons Of Mist. It is always the way that detractors are going to moan when a band gets bigger and grows beyond mere underground credentials. How would you react to such criticisms?

Erik: It usually comes from people who don’t think very much and get out away from their screens! For many people the black metal underground, which is pretty much a utopia these days because of the Internet, is a bit of a wet dream where bands will always stay closely connected to the underground. What they need to realise is the powers that such a little circle will generate make it difficult to stay within a limited space. There are roots and restrictions and they pretty much limit art. It is good to a certain extent it’s a very good growing ground for powerful energies where you can find yourself in essence but if you do that you will not remain there. We have put something out here as fire but now we want everything to burn and not just within the underground scene.

I understand why people do not like it when bands get big as it usually means they become shit. Most band do to be honest I could name plenty who sign to a bigger label even bands that I still like. Marduk for example, I still like them for sure but you cannot deny what they did on their first albums is something different.

Either as a band because you want to sell a lot of albums as that is your job and you think it is a better job than working in a factory but some do it for another reason. For us it is the end of fun, it is time to move forward and I look forward to the reaction of the underground metal elite, when the second church burns.

PW: Basically the band comprises of 3 members is Set likely to join as a full time member?

Erik: Watain will always only be 3 members! There are no other people I can imagine working with to be honest.

PW: Do you collectively arrange music and lyrics, what is the process when it comes to recording?

Erik: When I look back on the composition process to be honest it is a bit of a blur. We don’t work like a regular metal job with Watain, we fuck ourselves up one way or another and what comes out comes out.

PW: I found the instrumental tracks completely effective and downright creepy after the rage of the preceding numbers. Instantly reminded me of a good horror film soundtrack, have you ever been tempted to work within this genre perhaps in the future?

Erik: Yes sure I am a horror film fan especially of the music actually. I think what we do with Watain is what we can do most effectively now. It was kind of hard to do those tracks and incorporate them as it is not a common thing for us to have done. I think what we did in the end was to open the gates of Watain a bit wider and make people think a bit more about who we are.

Watain has grown into so much more than a band for us so I think it would be very hard and very strange for us to do anything else. I did play bass for Dissection at their last 3 gigs but….

PW: Is it OK to ask you your opinions of what happened with Jon Nodtveidt?

Erik: I think his death speaks for himself you know? I just hope it makes people think.

PW: Thematically it is obvious that your convictions and beliefs are no mere artistry bullshit. How did you become involved in Satanism and how does it shape your everyday existence?

Erik: Satanism is part of transcendence, the becoming; the start in a way is irrelevant as is the person. The only thing is that you never let anything block your path. When people ask and read these sort of questions they are probably looking for some sort of greasy details and sure I could give quite a quote but what I normally say is that if people are genuinely interested in Satanism and how the life of a Satanist looks there really is no other way to find out until you live that life yourself. If the line that people go for in Satanism is black metal, if that’s how far their interest in the left hand path goes, fine but there is an abyss and you can step into it if you want. Instead of turning off the light at night and going to sleep you can actually go out and experience the night and do what you feel and that’s it.

PW: Have you personally got any affiliations with the MLO (Misanthropic Luciferian Order)?

Erik: They are the only Satanic organisation that I fully support.

PW: You have named your current jaunt the Fuck The World tour, is this its final message from you?

Erik: One of them, it says it all in a way. What the fuck, its time to not give a fuck anymore.

PW: You think the worlds fucked?

Erik: I think we are doing a very good job of making it fucked, mankind has been here for a while and perhaps its time to take it to another level. I mean do what you want, put some actions behind your words and do it.

Resources

www.templeofwatain.com
www.myspace.com/watainofficial
www.season-of-mist.com
www.noevdia.com
www.mlo-scandinavia.net

Interviewed by Pete Woods