Adrie" Aad" Kloosterwaard

Sinister

Consistency, patience and hard work, it is pretty much all that one needs in order to maintain one's self in the music business. Of course there is daring, but why ruin it for traditionalists? The brutal Death Metal engine of Sinister is still active, beating hard, always read for the next pounding. Mixing a pure old school assault along with various of modern elements, Sinister draws in the coming their next definitive strike, "Deformation of the Holy Realm". Steinmetal had a chance to talk to the band's leader, Adrie Kloosterwaard, aka Aad, about the new record, the band's sense of purpose and songwriting abilities, pitching in members taking initiative and more…

By Lior "Steinmetal" Stein

• May 28, 2020

Sinister's Adrie" Aad" Kloosterwaard: "…brutal music needs brutal lyrics simple is that. Also this time all were against Christ and his blind followers. All this belief and faith brings only chaos and hate among people" interview

Hello Aad, and here we are again, I think it is the fourth time interviewing you for Metal Temple online Magazine, I am glad to have you. How have you been doing in these crazy times?

Hi, I am ok also when its hard to accept this chaos what is going on. Not playing live shows with Sinister is horrible, we are a band who really like to go on the road and play much as possible.

These last several months have been quite difficult with the presence of the Covid-19 virus, nothing appears to matter than staying home and taking care of your own. It looks, at least from here, that the world is slowly handling, or better said, adjusting to the situation at hand. How are things in Slovenia going? I know that the country's government started taking measures a little late… How do you view this pandemic?

The situation here is the same as everywhere complete lockdown. No travelling, schools are closed, shops and I can go on and go on. But what can you do only accept the situation and hope that this shit will past by soon as possible.

Certainly one of the main aspects that were affected by the pandemic was the music scene. With festivals, tours and shows cancelled due to the strong distancing regulations, artists have to reinvent themselves in their ways to do proper music promotion, other than their labels or PRs, if they have any. Since Sinister has always been a live band as well, and now without the ability to perform, how do you guys promote your music nowadays? Any particular methods that you are using online?

Yes, true, we love to play live shows with Sinister. It's the full package we like being together as a band have fun meet our fans and try to play every time the best gig you can. The new record will come out soon so let's see what will happen after this. We did already a lyric video to give it exposure, but we are ready for everything what will cross our path.

Talking about music promotion, and here you are with a new album, "Deformation of the Holy Realm". It seems like you hit the nail with the album's title as an analogy of what has been happening to the world at the moment. Has it crossed your mind that sort of comparison? What can you tell about the source or influence that guided you to this strong title?

Toep, our drummer came up with this title already in the beginning of the process of creating new music. He is also the one who is making all the lyrics for the band for many years. One day he said: "Adrie maybe I have a cool title for the new record and it fits perfect by the concept off the new lyrics". As you know our lyrics are always against belief and all this nonsense, this time it was not different hahaha.

Sinister has always been brutal in its lyricism as well, yet also opened up the taste to under the depth of the songs' contents. I wonder which pandora's box was opened with "Deformation of the Holy Realm" in terms of the themes commanding the lyrics? On which issues or phenomenons were you trying to focus on this album?

Like I said before, we do this kind of lyrics already for many years because we like it, brutal music needs brutal lyrics simple is that. Also this time all were against Christ and his blind followers. All this belief and faith brings only chaos and hate among people.

Once again Alexander Tarcus made you an amazing artwork, this one is actually kind of interesting. How is the album's title reflected within the drawing? What was the vision that you had planned for this artwork in the first place?

I am always the one with the idea for a new cover art and also this tine of course. This idea I had it in my mind already for some time and now it was time to bring it out in the open. On the cover art you see the believers are taking away to the underworld by demon monsters, so you can say the Deformation of the holy realm.

Album after album, and it seems that Sinister's constant hunger to become even more brutal musically, is undying. However, there is still that old school sensation that I remember quite fondly from your early days, which I have been a strong follower. In your viewpoint, how do you find the progress in the band's music with "Deformation of the Holy Realm"?

Thanks for the nice words. We are a band who is doing this for 110% and not less. We never play safe to make twice the same record. When we start the process of creating new music, we start from zero and we are not thinking about the record before. I think with "Deformation…" we did again another kind off record but always with this old school Sinister vibe in it. This time we focused more on the riffs, they had to be brutal and catchy. We are not a band who put 25 riffs in one song, no the riffs have to serve the songs, and when you can do it with less it will turn out only catchier. Let's say that with "Deformation…" we have a good balance between the older Sinister and the band that we are today.

I can't really remember the last time that I heard an acoustic guitar playing in a Sinister album. Was that a last moment's decision to go with it? For one thing, under the clout of heaviness, it turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. Is this small token of change to grow a little bit later on in future Sinister albums?

This great idea came from Denis Mauko the guy who did also all the samples and in and outro for the record, Denis is also playing this acoustic part. And yes we also like it very much so I know almost for sure you will hear this back on the next record we will do.

With the heavily flooded market of Death Metal albums, brutal or as those maybe, what do you think that makes "Deformation of the Holy Realm" an uncanny kind of release? What makes it tick in contrast than the rest of them? Is there an influence on the material by the new blood musicians that were recruited to the band recently?

Ghislain. our Bass player who is now with us for several years, created all music for this record with a bit off help from Michal one off our guitar players. All guitars on this record are also played by Ghislain only not the guitar solos they are all played by Michal. Whether our record will stand out by all other great releases, I don't know that is up to the listener. The most important thing is that we are very happy with and then our mission is completed. Like always we gave everything to make a good record so we only can hope people will be pleased with it.

I have a quote of yours from the band's dossier saying that this album cost you blood, sweat and tears. In a manner of speaking, most album productions are quite the effort by every band. What happened while this album was created that made you come up with that saying? Or was it merely an expression?

No really, a lot of negative stuff happened to some members in the process of creating new music. But I really don't feel the need to bring this out in the open because out of respect for my band mates… I really hope you understand this.

What can you tell about the album's songwriting process and the dilemmas or deliberations, whether between you and the guys, or yourself, of "Deformation of the Holy Realm"?

Like I told you before Ghislain took this time the heavy job on his shoulders for creating new music, and a hard job it was of course. Toep, our drummer did all the lyrics, Michal all guitar solos, and I did all the vocal arrangements. So as you can see, we all did our part. We almost never have fights about the new songs because Ghislain is sending them around and we are working on the songs till everybody is pleased with it.

After working with Jorg Uken on your previous record, you had Another Perfect Day's Kristian Kohlmannslehner do the mixing and mastering. The end result is a refined sound that made Sinister sound bombastic, yet maintain an old school feel. What is your appreciation of Kohlmannslehner's work antics and of course the new sound of Sinister?

We are so happy with his fantastic work that we know already that we go back to him for the next record. After so many years working in the same studio it was time for something new. I also said this of course to the guys in the band and they were 100% behind my idea. We needed a different sound by our new songs a fresh clear but brutal sound and Kristian gave this to us.

The album's lead single, "Apostles of the Weak", was wisely selected to be the first piece of music to present the album and its musical prowess. What can you tell about this particular song's creation and composition? How do you find this track personally?

I think that I was the only one from Sinister who wanted a different track than this one, but the other four guys said we need to do this one, so I was going with the flow so to say. I like the song a lot of course but for a first single it's better to have a bit shorter one I think.

With the Covid-19 still relevant, at least until the end of the year, with touring options shut down to pieces, have you started planning perhaps for 2021 on how you are going to support the new album?

Yep a lot of gigs will be moved to the next year. I fucking hate it but better this than complete cancelled. Ones again it's something what we have to accept.

When it comes to challenges, whether within the market or to still be relevant in yet another Metal generation, where do you see Sinister? Let's in the coming five years or so?

Simple we do this because we love it. We will follow the path like we do already for many years. Playing live shows all around the globe and recording brutal records. Our goal is still to become a bigger band even after all these years the hunger for that is still there. Also try to play in countries or on festivals we never did.

Aad, once again, it was a pleasure having you, the burning ambition and constant motivation of Sinister in its albums is surely what draws us once again back to you. All the best mate.

Thank you very much for your nice words and this interview.