CR: Your music is based around nature and mysticism. Do you have any specific reasons for this?

Venomenon: Well, I guess it just comes naturally to us, we are all surrounded with this incredible scenery and it's almost impossible to avoid being captured by the majesty of our surroundings. Most of us take it for granted at this modern day and age but if you just take the time and find your own special place, nature will fill you to the brim with inspiration.

Nattsjel: There is nothing more breathtaking then the nature, and we live in a country that has four distinct seasons and the landscape changing with these seasons. I live next to a river on one side and mountains on the other side of my house so I don’t have to take many steps outside the door to be inspired. Many bands write songs about war and destruction, that’s fine but we see that shit on TV every day and it’s not easy to be writing something harsher then the real shit. CR: It’s such a shame to hear you don’t get time to come together and practice as a band more. Are there no talks at all to move nearer to each other to practice as a group, and to increase your fan base by doing tours?

Venomenon: Well, it just so happens that Erlend has, due to both a top job and family business decided to leave Nàttsòl, and thus enables me and Nattsjel to focus on putting together a live act. Let me just add that the relationship between the band and Erlend could not be better, he has written a lot of the music for our next album and actually wants us to use whatever we wanted. And that is what we are going to do, because some of the material he wrote is pure quality. This means that Nattsjel will have the main composer position in the future, and I will concentrate on the lyrics and vocal-arrangements, but on some songs we will share 50/50 just to get a more vital and fresh product. So to answer your question, “Yes” we will do some live shows and hopefully a tour or two!

Nattsjel: The band you refer to are only me and Venomenon, so we have to rely on live session members. But we are planning to do a concert or two in Norway in the future. If it works out maybe we do more gigs and maybe even tours.

CR: Do you attend many gigs in Norway? What is the Black Metal scene like there nowadays?

Venomenon: It's been a long time since I went to a concert but if something really interesting is on the poster I will turn up. Well there are a few bands that are worth a mention, but it's nothing like it used to be, at least where I live. Throne of Katarsis, Nebular Mystic, Den Saakaldte, Thurs and Vidr are bands that I follow with interest but as of the younger generation of black metal bands, here in Stavanger hardcore and metalcore are overrepresented, at least those I have heard play.

Nattsjel: I live about three hours away from Oslo (the main capital) so it’s not often I get the chance to attend gigs there. But I go as often as I can. The black metal scene is divided between the bands that have a more slick approach both in arrangement and sound, making them more easily discovered by audience that listen to other kind of hard rock or metal. You could say it’s more commercial but that word is so 1980 so I don’t think that’s fair for those bands. All they want to do is what every band wants to do, play music and have a bunch of listeners. The other type of bands are those stuck in the ’90s and don’t really care when people are screaming that they must progress. These are the bands we usually listen to because we loved the sound of the ’90s so why would we try to fix something that’s not broken?

CR: ‘Stemning’ is quite a short album at just under 40 minutes and with only 6 tracks. Was there a reason for making the album so short, or did you just not have enough material for a longer album?

Venomenon: Stemning is one of those albums that should be listened to as a whole. When Erlend wrote Stemning the songs just “fell into me” over a couple of days as he said, and then the gates of inspiration closed and Stemning is what was left.

Nattsjel: It was also meant to be a promo CD that we sent to record labels, and when we got signed, the label meant that it was good enough to release as an album. The next album will contain more songs.

CR: You have quite specific reasons for singing in Norwegian on the album. Do you have any plans to ever write any English lyrics on future material?

Venomenon: I doubt us ever doing anything with English lyrics simply because it would not be honest of us to do so, if the demand for English lyrics ever gets to the level of annoyance to our fans, I'd rather translate them myself. But in essence Nàttsòl is a band that has profoundly deep roots in Norwegian culture; therefore singing in English would be dishonest to both us and our fans.

Nattsjel: The Norwegian and especially Venomenons accent fits the music so well; if we had done this in English I think most of the feelings of the songs got lost. Besides, there are only a few bands that do sing in Norwegian today.

CR: Are there any Black Metal bands around now that manage to impress you? And who were your inspirations when first forming Nàttsòl? Have these changed?

Venomenon: Well I can only speak for myself, and the bands that has shaped me as a musician are first and foremost Forlorn, Gehenna, Tristania, Burzum and My Dying Bride. Forlorn, Gehenna and Tristania are local bands and I remember how inspiring it was to talk to these guys when I was 14-15 and a real pain in the arse. Hennex from Forlorn deserves as much credit as I can give, always forthcoming and supportive, and still is I might add. I remember playing in a rather crappy band, but he actually came to the show just to show support. To me that was a great memory. Nowadays, I listen to all kinds of music, a lot of Doom and Black Metal but right now it's Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary (RIP), Peter Gabriel, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison to name a few.

CR: If Nattsol were ever to do a live full stage set, without worrying about the cost, what would we expect? Pyros? Dancing naked blood stained bodies in the style of Gorgoroth?

Venomenon: Haha. I have some plans and it's going to be eerie and melancholic if we will have it my way, but Nattsjel has a big say in this so we will have to talk about it. But I doubt there will be any nudity, hehehe, not on my part that is to say.

Nattsjel: Well, those who live will see I guess.

CR: Is there a festival or venue you would like to play?

The venue is of little importance to me personally as long as the fans like what they hear, but Carnegie Hall maybe?! Hehehe

Nattsjel: I think the best place to play is where you are appreciated by the audience. It doesn’t have to be big or flashy place with the newest PA and a lot of lights. The best places I’ve ever played at are small venues that are packed with people. But after attending Wacken Open Air in Germany for the past two years I think it would be a big kick to play on Black Stage or True Metal Stage.

What’s the future for Nattsol?

Nattsjel: As for now we are writing songs for the next album and will record these songs next year I guess. Maybe try to do a gig or two in the future. CR: Anything to add?

Thanks for the interview and be sure to check out Nàttsòl – Stemning!

For more on the band check out http://www.myspace.com/nattsolnorway

Interviewed by Charlene Rance

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