Greetings,
Henrik! How're the things with MORANNON going? Any news?
Henka: Hell-o.
Well, we are for the time being writing new songs and trying to promote
of latest demo. I have recently helped a friend with the vocals on a MCD,
that will be released in a few months. Nothing too exciting has happened
though...
And now
a little «history lesson», please...
Henka: Well,
I started the band back in ‘93. I recorded some songs, but they was, and
will always be, unofficial. Bryntse joined in ‘94. In April ‘95 we recorded
a four-track demo, but it was never relesed. Tobbe came along in ‘96, and
on friday the 13th we recorded the first «real» demo, a split
with Martyrum, which is on the b-side of our latest demo «Behold
The Black Candles Light». That one was recorded in October ‘97.
I'm wondering
when you guys will get tired of using Tolkien themes...
Henka: Well,
we don`t use Tolkien themes in our lyrics. It is only our name that`s taken
from Tolkien. Morannon is the black gates that leads to the land of EVIL.
You defined
your music as «unholy, brutal and primitive black metal», however
let me disagree with the latter definiton - I mean 'primitive'. Of course,
MORANNON's stuff is not much complicated, but it's also has nothing to
do with such crap as ILDJARN, for example...
Henka: The
music is unholy, brutal and primitive black metal. I haven`t heard that
much of ILDJARN, so I can`t comment that...
Something
tells me that Vortex's real name is Daniel Bryntse... Am I right?
Henka: Yes,
you are. Mr Bryntse of the doom masters FORLORN (well I am in FORLORN too),
WINDWALKER, WITHERED BEAUTY, FEBRUARI 93...
By the
way, does that clean voice (magnificent one!) on «Out From The Dark»
and «13 Candles» appear of his courtesy?
Henka: Yepp,
it is his voice. It`s great, isn`t it? (yes!
- ED)
And what
about Goatlord? Is MORANNON the only band he plays in?
Henka: No.
Goatlord plays with me and some others in a old-fashioned heavy metal band
named HELLPIKE. The music is like early BLACK SABBATH, PENTAGRAM, DEEP
PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN, etc...
You have
a split-demo with MARTYRUM... Can you tell me few words concerning this
band? Where do they come from, did they release anything else so
far, etc...?
Henka: MARTYRUM
is some of our friends. They come from the same city as we (Gavle, Sweden).
I don`t know too much about them, but I do know that their guitarplayer
doesn`t like gravestones (hehe). I do believe that they have released a
demo. I have no address though.
Almost
every BM band incorporates keyboards in it's sound nowadays, while you
prefer to ignore this instrument... Why? (don't get me wrong, I'm also
tired of dozens faceless ala-Emperor bands)
Henka: Keyboard
isn`t a metal instrument, is it? Well, we don`t think that we need
a keyboard in our music.
You named
DARKTHRONE, BATHORY and CELTIC FROST as your main musical influences, and
also the best bands ever... Ok, I can agree with you when it comes to Quorthon
and T. G. Warrior, but I just can't understand how can you admire DARKTHRONE??!
You should know that Fenriz is the greatest wimp and poser ever existed...
Henka: Even
if he would be a poser, DARKTHRONE is one of the best bands of all time.
Nothing to argue about...
Getting
back to your letter... You said that one of MORANNON's new songs is a ‘Celtic
Frost-sounding piece’, an assertion which I consider rather weird... You
(fortunately) have your own style, so what's the heck in writing songs
‘in the vein of...’?
Henka: I
think that we have lots of CF influences in our music already. It will
sound like a typical MORANNON song.
Could
you please tell me a bit in regards to your lyrics?
Henka: They
deal with things like death, vampires (not that romantic shit), satanism,
rituals etc. Most of them are kind of abstract and weird. I write all lyrics.
What is
PERSOPHONE and who is Niklot? And what impelled him to write lyrics for
some of your songs?
Henka: Niklot
is the contact person of the German Black metallers PERSOPHONE. I asked
him to write a lyric to MORANNON and he agreed.
Would
you like to describe your usual life? I'm just eager to know what the ‘true
BM-life’ is all about, heh heh...
Henka: Well,
when I get up in the mornings, I start my day with listening to some DIMMU
BORGIR. Then I borrow my mother`s make-up and corpse-paint myself. After
that I cut my arms, cause I am sooooo evil and true.... No comment.....
How much
do you know in regards to my country and Russia's people? And what about
Russian bands of metal kind - have you heard any?
Henka: I
know that Smirnoff is Russian. That is about all I know...hehe. I can`t
think of any Russian band right now, sorry.
Ok, let's
get back to MORANNON... Did you receive any offers from various labels?
And is there anybody who distributes your present stuff worldwide?
Henka: We
haven`t sent our material to any labels, most because we aren`t looking
for a record-deal for the moment. We wish to spread our name in the underground
first. We distributes our own stuff.
Well,
Henrik, it's time to finish our interview... Your last words, curses, hails
and wishes...
Henka: Thanx
and hail Mr Stalhammar. Buy WITHERED BEAUTY`s debut album. It is fucking
great. Buy our demo if you like real Black Metal. Death to false
FORLORN!!!!!!!! Hail Satan.
MORANNON contact
-
Henrik Lindenmo
Kallmursv.
4
S-804 29
Gavle
Sweden