Kaiadas

Naer Mataron

The Black Metal legion from Hellas managed to release an album more poisonous and dangerous than ever before. Blame the toxic vocals, their un-ending inspiration; the fact is that NAER MATARON are a killing machine. Metal Temple had some questions and Kaiadas gave some nice answers.
By Yiannis Doukas
September 13, 2008
Kaiadas (Naer Mataron) interview
Hails Kaiadas, how are you? A new album of NAER NATARON is out and I want you to tell me how you feel. There have been some changes in the lineup. First of all Morfeas is no more with the band. Why did he leave? Do you keep contact now? Do you believe that this departure caused a change in the musical face of the band, since he was a song writer?

I feel great, the outcome is spectacular and I'm happy with the reviews so far. When we finished recording Discipline Manifesto I was not completely happy with it. I started working on the next project immediately and presented it to the rest of the band. Morpheas placed himself out of the band because he believed (and this was in fact true - that he couldn't) carry out this new direction, something that on the other hand was really easy for Indra and Vicotnik. No, I don't think that the lineup changes influenced the way we write songs, since I've been the main composer from River At Dash Scalding until today. I'm not really keen on talking on the phone, thus I can't say that I've been in contact with Morpheas. Nevertheless, when I'll visit Norway again, we'll definitely have a beer together at one of our friends' houses.

How did you persuade Vicotnik to do the vocals in the new album, apart from the production? The final results I believe that justify your choice, since he has done a great job in both of them. How was the cooperation with him? Is he a full member or he was just for the vocals in this album? Will he join you for further live appearances?

We've been friends with Vicotnik for many years and there's a deep respect for each other. You know, in the older days, the people who listened to VED BUENS ENDE were very few, and Vicotnik knows that...A year and a half before the recordings, we started creating demo material for the next album, which I sent him since we had agreed that he would do the production once more. He knew we didn't have a singer at the time and he had to accept the demo with some rough vocal lines I had done so he would have a picture of what we wanted. And when he told us that we're ready for the recordings, we went to Norway. So there we are me and Indra tuning our instruments, when he enters the room saying are you ready to accept me as your new vocalist?. I started looking at him amazed and he continues why, is there a problem?. I agreed instantly since I'm a big fan of his voice since his VED BUENS ENDE days so... We discussed about the details after the first shock and we cut to the chase straight away! DODHEIMSGARD's schedule is less busy than NAER MATARON's, so as long as both sides can cooperate like that, yes Vicotnik is a full time member. Believe this :Vicotnik loves NAER MATARON as it was HIS band. He will be with us for the biggest part of the tour, because you mustn't forget that he's a producer as well.

There is also a new member behind the guitars, Indra. How did you meet? Was he in any previous bands? He is also the composer of three tracks in the new album. Do you feel that his entrance gave a new fresh air in the band?

Indra isn't really a new member. He's been playing with us in live shows since 2003.I believe he is a very talented guitarist and he didn't join the band because Morpheas left, his addition to the band was in my main plans for Praetorians long before the recordings, but he wasn't announced yet. He surely brought new ideas to the band but the band is so cold and grim itself that even HE had to wear long sleeve shirts, haha!

Apart from the lineup changes, there was also a label change. Was it easy to find a new one? Are you satisfied with Season Of Mist? I believe that this is a big step for you with a more professional aura behind. And when I'm saying professional I'm not using the bad meaning behind. What do you believe?

Black Lotus was not just a label for NAER MATARON. We knew the Magus for many years and the fact that Black Lotus closed down was a big loss for the local scene, since there's nothing serious around. After that we discussed with several big labels and finally focused on Season of Mist, mostly when I realized that most of the albums I bought lately were their releases. So I was really into the idea of working with a label that promotes properly the music I listen to and do the same for my own music. These people are above all polite and this is something that really means to me and beyond that they are truly professional.

I'm once again surprised by Nordvargr's work. How did you work? Did he compose some parts isolated from the other songs that you create or do you have a constant contact informing him of what you want to be for an intro of that song or another?

This is how we work with Nordvargr: I start thinking of words that bring pictures to my mind with a very important meaning and I share them with him. You know, we think alike in many ways so it's easy for him to understand and form sounds in his own sick way. I really don't know how he does it but he's amazing, he creates exactly what you have in mind through his sounds and effects. Nordvargr has given a soundtrack feeling to the music of NAER MATARON.

There is a video clip for NAER MATARON depicting Incarcerating Gallantry. Why this song? I have the impression that is the most VED BUENS ENDE influenced one, especially in the last two minutes. Where did you do it?

First of all, it's the shortest song of the album, thus it can be played in TV shows without any editing. Plus, it's one of these songs that combine the old elements of our sound with some new that exist in the album. Incarcerating Gallantry indicates in a way how the songs will be sounding in the near future.

Your new musical chapter is named Praetorians. Why this title? Did this title reflect anything from the band, being the defenders of something? Can we see as a Discipline Manifesto part 2? I mean that in Praetorians the discipline was a major chapter.

I am not a big fan of Romans. The title of the album has a totally different meaning for us. It is about the essence of the order of the Praetorians, being that they were more devoted to their cause than the Emperor himself, and sometimes they would even push aside the Emperor if he betrayed that cause. We are the praetorians to the music we play and what it stands for. This means that if everyone else becomes softer, become more polished and popular, we become the praetorians of the Black Metal ideology.

The lyrical path continues in the same fields, European and Ancient Hellenic history, isn't it? Did the past bear beguilement upon you, and why do you feel that this happens? Of course sometimes the mist of time embellishes some parts and on the other the accretion of the knowledge can give us a maturity that is precious. Can we say the perfect attitude is in the middle? You know on the one you are blind without a past and on the other if you stick to that you have no future.

No, no, whoever reads the lyrics will realize something totally different. We don't worship the ancient times in a utopian way like things were perfect back then and bullshit like that! There are certain bands that can do that and better than us. We believe in the circular theory, meaning that history repeats itself in the way Heracletus explains it, and based on that, history has many things to teach us, that's our main subject in the lyrics. We look to the past to gaze and transcend safely to the future, and the particular period is the best for people to realize that.

Why the Christian plague polluted lands like Ancient Hellas or the Scandinavian ones, although there was a culture behind? How deep and badly was this mental contamination according to your opinion? And why does this plaque exist to our days? What are the ways that a human being can illuminate his logic, avoiding this?

All these people who don't penetrate the skin of world history, blame christianity, I won't say it's innocent but let me tell you this: in history or Religion or the nations exists the Genesis, the Blooming and the Corruption. The corruption of the Archaic Time gave us the Hellenistic Time, that brought the Macedonian Time, that brought the Romaic Time, that brought the Byzantine Time, that brought the Othomanian Time. Right now we're witnessing the corruption of the American Time, and - trust me - something new will come. Can you feel it? People who know the path of History can predict the future and realize what's coming next, easier than most people and some of them can be very specific. This is the Circular theory of things which NAER MATARON deal with through their lyrics all these 15 years.

I'm feeling that in this current era humanity has touched the bottom line of spirituality. Everyone runs for his job, spending many hours just to make some money forgetting the basics, to give mental oxygen for his living. Do you share this opinion? Did the technology revolution cause that, by entering into a more ultra realistic, Kantian universe with empiricism being king forgetting fantasy, our Dionysian personality, if you want. What is the part of music behind that? Can it help a person to enrich his imagination part?

VOIVOD used to sing Killing Technology and I totally agree with that. Our ancestors were practical and used technology as a way of bettering their everyday life. We are using technology to make things more difficult. At that point we have the how to make money factor! In no way could you give a solution to that apart from an Apollonian Order. Remember the Fall of the Cronians from the 12 Olympian gods. I've written these things since the Skotos Aenaon days if you remember.

The entrance of Warhead in the band was a major chapter. What is your favorite drumming for the new album? Is he selfâ€taught ? How many times do you make rehearsals?

You're talking about one of the best drummers in brutal Black Metal and that's not just me saying that. There are magazines that specialize in that and have the same opinion. I'm sure he used to do a lot more practice, but don't think that he's relaxed or anything, he's just improved his style with some advanced techniques that the top drummers of the era use. Drums always were an important part of the band, and that changed even more when Warhead took over. We rehearse for specific reasons like a tour, a recording. Each one of us is practicing on his own.

The previous album was one of the best Black Metal albums in the Hellenic scene, and that's not only my opinion, I have heard many others saying that. Are you satisfied with that album? Can you tell me your personal favourite releases in the Hellenic scene?

I think that it has been described as one of the most brutal Black Metal albums by a European magazine. Yes, of course, my favorites are SEPTICEMIA - Sabbath Convention, DEATH COURIER - Demise, HORRIFIED -Garden Of Unearthly Delight, BLOOD COVERED - Winterhawk, NECROMANTIA's split with VARATHRON, SEPTIC FLESH - Forgotten Path, ROTTING CHRIST - Thy mighty contract, LEGION OF DOOM - For Those Of The Blood, LEMEGETHON - Spiritus Locus, NAFTIA and GENIA TOU XAOUS aren't Black Metal but kick ass, also ZEMIAL-For the Glory of Ur, EXORISTOI - S/T.

What are the future plans for the band now? Are you planning any live appearances or any tour to support Praetorians? Are there any songs left from the album's recordings?

We're at the point of recording a song for a split 7 with DODHEIMSGARD, but there are some law issues with the labels and we're just waiting for them to be solved. After that there will be a tour starting in October without having any dates announced yet. This time we'll play many live shows, we want to play in as many paces in Europe as possible.

I was reading your top 2007 releases in your mySpace page and I was surprised by the appearance of the new PROFANATICA! Do you like it eh? I guess the drumming is little poor, since it's drum machine but it was morbid as hell. Let's hope that next time will invite Warhead helping them in that part!

I don't like albums with drum machine, but the last PROFANATICA truly destroyed me. I don't think they would manage to make sense with Warhead, they would lose for sure haha! Seriously now, these guys know how to sodomize the Nazarene for years now...

I know you are a big fan of DARKTHRONE. Do you find some influences in your music? The new album, do you like it? Many people do not consider it as Black Metal music but personally I cannot understand that. It is still pure DARKTHRONE. What is your opinion?

Let me tell you, is a record that will be accepted by 30-year-old people and older, and you know why? Cause they grew up listening to MANILLA ROAD, CIRITH UNGOL, BROCAS HELM etc. The younger kids that grew up with DIMMU BORGIR, CRADLE OF FILTH and SATYRICON won't pay attention to the album. Yes, I really liked it. It's a pure album which isn't presented as Transylvanian Hunger No2.They play what they feel like and I understand that completely.

The first demo of the band was the Awakening Of Ancient Greece under the name NAR MATARON. After that there was still a band with the same name telling that you and Morfeas had stolen their ideas. What exactly happened?

Yes, Lord Alatoth - who used to sing back then - came up with the name NAR MATARON,when we decided to kick him out we had to do something with the name cause it was his idea. So Magus Vampire Daoloth suggested the addition of the letter E in NAR so there would be no problem.

I noticed in your thanks list the Aprilia motorcycle. Are you a motorcycle man (SAXON rulez)? What are your feelings when you are upon that iron horse?

FREEDOM!

Thanx a lot, I hope the future will bring more sonic terrors on our ears with your band. Close as you wish.

Check out our new album Praetorians it's worth it, believe me, haha! NAER MATARON RULES!

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