Helge Stang
Wolves Den
Hi there! Well, you know: every 7th year you are lucky: 2020 was my turn as I left down-town Munich behind and moved to the countryside (cows, swamps, woods). So the answer is short: good! I haven't been hit by the starting recession (yet), the weather was fine, and I have lots of things to do here.
I would say, that Arafel is in some sort of hibernation. The truth is, that the distance is long. Especially for a more or less fresh band; you can't just play a spontaneous show next weekend. Book your flights half a year in advance or you'll pay 3x the fee – on top. I've been down in the unholy land a few years ago, classic vacation. But things turned quiet recently – hibernation...
No, it is not. I am neither a scientist nor a politician or somewhat, I just went to school. And even if I spent a good time there sleeping it was enough to understand what is now going on. It is a virus (not even an evil one) and it does exactly, what it is supposed to do: spread. End of the story. I just wonder, why people in the 21st century behave exactly the same as in previous centuries: looking for a culprit and belief every single piece of shit that swims by. "Somebody must be responsible!" Fun fact: that is somehow true, and the answer is: we all. If I really have to spend my vacation in Israel or on the other side of the world (I have been on markets in China, mentioned in the corona-origin-discussion myself), then I am as guilty as a lot of other people. The difference is: I don't blame now the Chinese, Jews, Bill Gates or whomever.
Yes, you are right. I spent now a lot of years in this metal-band-cosmos and I can tell you: things became much harder. As you can record, release and promote an album with your cellphone (!) nowadays, we all are drowning in a flood of good, bad and boring sound. And all the things that worked yesterday are nowadays worth a shit. Meanwhile I (and the rest of the band), we feel somehow like dinosaurs. Look at me: I don't even have Facebook, and recently I had to ask my boss, what this Twitter thing is. Seriously! Of course I heard of this, but it was just not of interest for me. Now I "know" the details and can confirm: I rather dig a hole in my garden than waste my lifetime on another social media shit.
But back to the "Pro-Trollzorn-Decision": we wanted a partner, that can help us to promote this album. It seems to work somehow – or would we talk now without Trollzorn (and the machinery behind … hello Jan!)
"Mercy" is just one part of the truth. In older times it was the translation for an interesting disease ("Gott Erbarme Dich" - God show mercy). That disease was way more spectacular as Corona: you start to vomit your own shit. Ha! Where is your mercifulness now!?
"There is no mercy! There is only shit and grief and anger." That is the message. Or, to quote my own lyrics (hehe): "There is no hope in fire / there is no cleansing pyre / there is no pure desire / and there is no relief". These are the first lines on the album. Although the writing and recording is now quite a while ago, it is fully up-to-date I think.
First, I take this as a compliment. As mentioned before, the album is now ready for... ääh ... 1 ½ years. Plus, recording, that means I correct your question to "2 ½ years after the first album". I think "Miserere" is a bit more focused. Where "Deus Vult" was quite a mix of songs and styles, the second album is now more precise, heading in one direction. Songwriting, recording - we changed this and that for our second strike. More using our personal strengths instead of sharing everything equal.
Ah, "the flood", I know what you are talking about, hehe. You know, I cannot answer you this question. My part was to create (or: work on) a great album – the judgment is another one's turn. We just did, what we want to do: play hard music, create good songs and sounds. Share our point of view. Grab you by the balls.
To be honest – I don't see any fusion on "Miserere"; when it comes to influences, we always mention our old beloved classics: Satyricon, Dissection, Mayhem or maybe Rotting Christ. Do they do "fusion". Okay, maybe Rotting Christ … but, hey, they're from Greece. That's okay.
Haha, yeah, still waiting for the day some fan shows up, "demands" a song and I obey. Please, next time: ask me the same question. If I answer it with "yes, somebody wanted that" - kill me! Starting with the last song, "Nameless Grave", that is a tribute to Aleister Crowley. Based on his poem "The Poet" the English language was set. And the first song, "Tides of Hate", well, things have been different here: I didn't plan to write in English, but the lines I quoted above where just the first thing, that popped into my mind when I heard that song for the first time. Then I thought: why not? As you may have noticed by now: English is not my mother tongue. But fuck it, why not. Maybe next time I try Swahili or so.
People really seem to like that song! That is good. For me personally it was quite a torture, the last part was stealing my breath, haha! A waterfall of words… The research for the audio samples in the middle, that is also worth mentioning: I spend hours in front of torture movies, witch burnings and – of course – the audio recordings of Annelieses exorcism. But the quote was worth the effort. "Häresie" (heresy), is a reflection of the how-to-treat-others-approach of the Catholic Church. I think the mood of the song and the idea, theme behind it now really fit together.
Ah, the second song everyone does mention! This time it was no personal motive behind it. It is about the conflict of two once close figures. A few lines to the top I mentioned a few bands that do influence us in general. Probably you'll find an answer there. Although Paradise Lost isn't in that list.
As you hear this song now as it is finished, just imagine how it sounded during writing: we all felt, that this is going to be a good one... goose bumps somehow. And we made it to keep this feeling all the way to the album.
Under normal circumstances, yes, we would now play our asses off. But in the current situation (which added another few weeks to the release date by the way), our gig list is just one thing: empty. Our drummer, professional musician, as even cancellations for tours next spring: "too risky." Not talking about this year. So what can we do? I could start with twitter, haha! But, if I have learned one thing over the years: It comes as it comes. If this album is good, then people will like it, it will prevail, it will be listened to. If not – not.
It sounds maybe lazy but we can't get out of our skin: we are a live band. Not a bunch of social-media-whores. If we cannot do what we are good at – then we wait. I made a video for "Nachtmahr", available on YouTube: you spend hours on something just to drown afterwards in a flood of "hey, I am eating a cake"-pictures. Besides, something like rehearsals is not allowed here at the moment.
Na, not my cup of tea. Where is the audience? How am I supposed to get high without a sweating, screaming crowd? Jerk off on some hearts and ThumbsUp in a chat window? I respect the idea, and the will to do something in the current situation. But I think that it is exactly this: Something. Anything. It does not solve any problems nor will it be an equivalent substitution. Not talking about money, merchandise and all the stuff that one could wrap up in the word "feeling" of a live show.
He - we didn't do that on purpose: wait 5 years... No, the next album is already in work, songwriting is somewhat 40% done or so. We had time – we have time. At least something good during this pandemic.
Thank you very much for your time and the interesting questions. I really appreciate that. Har det bra!
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