How does your performance in the band, DAWN, provide for you? What does it bring to you and how does it help you as an individual?
- It feeds my ego of course! Being
in bands is very important to me. Being in bands is part of my personality.
But I have to say that I consider the creative aspect more than the "performing"
aspect. Recording is much more interresting than just standing somewhere
playing our instruments. I love the fact that we make records. That is
the one reason for playing. Playing live, on the other hand, is generally
a good experience. If the "crowd" (some places we've played the audience
can't be adressed as the "crowd") is in the mood and we are so too, then
it's great to perform. We use leather and blood on stage to get in the
right mood. People seem to like it. Anyway, back to your question. Making
and recording music with DAWN brings me satisfaction and, again, it feeds
my ego.
Your
band began as a more death metal oriented project but later evolved into
a deeper form of black and death combination. May your fans expect
a different evolution in your forthcoming LP? Perhaps an entirely
black oriented release?
- Well, I think the music on "Sorgh Pa Svarte Vingar Flogh" is quite black-metal oriented. On that record we started to explore a kind of repetitive, monotonous style, which is developed further on our new disc. I don't know if it's strictly BM, but it's very, very far from our debut CD. All the songs are long. The riffs are very repetitive. 6/8 beats with fast double bass-drums. When our debut CD came out, many people said we sounded like DISSECTION. I think we will get rid of those accusations now. The new album (which is called «Slaughtersun - Crown Of The Triarchy») sound nothing like DISSECTION. Certainly not.
The band is seen displaying an old style thrash motif with your visual deliverance of black, leather, spikes, etc. Why is it you feel you should wear such items? Do you find that it builds atmosphere with your music? Would it be of any matter to you if a band member chose to wear collared shirts and nice slacks? How would you react to them if they showed up at practice wearing 'nice' clothing?
- What we wear on stage and on promo-shots
is not neceserily what we wear everyday. Anyone can wear what they want,
especially at rehearsals. It would be a great laugh if Henke turned up
i "nice slacks", but it wouldn't make the rest of us question his future
membership of DAWN. Maby if he showed up with those slacks at a gig, then
maby we would be a little disappointed. Personally I get a bit disappointed
when DM / BM bands perform in joggin suits or whatever. We played in Denmark
once with a band called INIQUITY. They came on stage in their every-day-wear,
and it looked a bit daft. They smoked an incredible lot of Grass in this
tiny little dressing-room we shared, and when they came on stage they looked
like a bunch of very tired people trying to do a work-out pass. Anyway,
clothes are not that important to me. It used to be when I was younger
(I'm an old man you see, 25 this year!), but now I don't care much what
I wear. I have to spend the little money I've got on books and stuff.
I think many bands of our "size" recognizes the dilemma; how to afford
those fucking leather pants.
Your
latest promo shots were taken at a castle. You have also recorded
a music video at this same castle recently. Please inform us how
it went and what song your video is for. What does the setting of
a castle do for you? Do you appreciate historical sites quite a lot?
- First of all, the video wan't
shot at the castle. That was our initial idea, but we soon changed our
minds, and eventually we shot the video in a empty storage room. It was
an old butchery actually, with meathooks and stuff. They're not in the
shot though. Hopefully he video will be completed in England, by the guy
who did some CRADLE OF FILTH videos. Can't remember his name. The
castle symbolizes opression and tyranny, elements integrated into the sound
of DAWN. It looks very good, and it goes with the music. It's not a medieval
castle. It's a eighteenth century castle. Obviously we do appreciate
historical sites, but mostly as visuals. I'm interrested in history myself,
but I think that the roles (and the importance) of kings and queens are
a bit overrated. Some people tend to have a very romantic view on this.
Sometime it seems many BM bands are being very romantic when talking about
those old days. I think you can make fine visuals out of it, but castles
are not very interresting as such.
Why did you choose to cover a song from INFERNAL
MAJESTY on your latest MCD? Do you listen to a great deal of old thrash
and heavy metal? Are there any other forms of music you take an interest
in, separate from the metal genre?
- Fredrik had this INFERNAL MAJESTY record, and he thought it would be a good choice for a cover-version (Henke suggested «Under Guiliotine» by KREATOR), and that the band was sadly overlooked in the genre. He and Andreas got it their way, but I didn't neceserily LOVE tha song. Or the band. I think all of us are into other music than BM/DM. I'm a progressive rock fan, and I listen to quite a lot of electronic music. Fredrik is very much into heavy metal and Henke is into anything. I'm a PINK FLOYD fanatic. I just have to say that.
Could you please tell us a little bit about your side project CHOIR OF VENGEANCE?
- CHOIR OF VENGEANCE is the band from which me and Karsten was "recruited" once upon a time. This band plays more straight BM / DM, and I write most of the music. We released a self financed, self-titled MCD last year. Necropolis does the distribution in the US. I'm trying to find a label to release our material (we've been recording, but not releasing a lot of new material). If there's a label out there looking for bands, drop me a line and I'll send some promo-stuff. CHOIR OF VENGEANCE is so to say "my band". The same way that DAWN is mainly Fredrik's baby.
On a final note, please send your last regards and future ideas for DAWN. Thank you for your time Lars, and continue the good work!
- Well, thanks for a good interview,
Mike. Good luck with your zine and your music. People out there, watch
out for DAWN’s new album «Slaughtersun - Crown Of The Triarchy» (out this
fall on Necropolis Records). It might be the last thing you hear from us
for quite a while. Take care!
DAWN / CHOIR OF VENGEANCE contact
-
Email: lartal188@knuten.liu.se
(contact Necropolis Records at:)
P.O. BOX 14815
Fremont, CA
94539-4815
USA
or via email - necrop@necropolisrec.com