Band: SIEBENBURGEN
Country of origin: Sweden
Style: mystical black metal
Questions by: Kai Mathias Stalhammar
Answer supplied by: M. Chlin (vocals, guitars)

To begin with, what is «Siebenburgen»? Is there any exact translation of this (rather mysterious-sounding) word and what roused you to choose it as your band's name?

- ‘Siebenburgen’ is the old European name for Transylvania, and was used in the Swedish languish in earlier times. Why we choused it? Well....actually it was my ex-girlfriend Mara who came up with the idea, and because of our interest in the legends and myths from this part and regarding to our lyrics, we took it.

Now, please a short bio for your band (escape readdressing us to your homepage, if possible)...

- SIEBENBURGEN was formed by me and Anders in 1994. Fredrik joined us a couple of months later. Our first demo was recorded in February '96, and after that recording Linus joined us. In October the same year we recorded our second demo, entitled «Ungentum Pharelis». That demo gave us a contract with Napalm Records. We recorded our first album in '97, «Loreia». And in 1998 we recorded our second opus, «Grimjaur». And that's were we are today.....

Few words of your latest CD, «Grimjaur»... Generally speaking, are you satisfied with the outcome? Is there anything you'd like to change or improve now?

- I'm not pleased with the end result of «Grimjaur». The sound is not what I had in mind. I'm satisfied with the songs though, and the booklet is great. So the sound is the only importing thing that I want to change, but that's rather impossible to change now.

All the verses featured on «Loreia» and «Grimjaur» seem to be in Swedish - am I right? Did you think of your foreign fans' reaction writing them? I mean, no one except Swedes would understand what you try to express through the lyrics of yours...

- It's correct that all our lyrics are in Swedish. We started with Swedish lyrics and it just went along in that direction. But for our upcoming album (which will be recorded in February) I have written about 4 or 5 English tracks as well. I know that it's a problem that only a few of our fans can understand our lyrics. They will just have to wait for our third album.

Can you tell me, what are they dealing with?

- Our lyrics deal with topics such as vampires, ghosts, old legends, death and so on. All described as short ghost- or terror- tales.

Following the good old BM tradition, the whole SIEBENBURGEN paints it's faces... but why do you avoid using handles? Is there any special reason for that?

- No.

Where did you find Lovisa and what was the reason for inviting her to SIEBENBURGEN?

- I come in contact with Lovisa through Mara. I had been looking for a female vocalist for a period of time, and she seemed like the right person at that time. I think that her best contributions were on our demos. On the albums she sounds too insecure I think.

Let me ask you few more questions concerning Lovisa... Did she formerly sing or play somewhere else? And why is she still a session member?

- I think she plays in some folk-band. Why she always has been a session member? Because she has never proved that she is capable to work with us on a full time basis. And after the «Grimjaur» album I have stopped all my work together with her. She is now totally out from SIEBENBURGEN. We have now a new girl that have joined us, and a girl from America that will, if everything goes right, work with us too.

Does Napalm Records satisfy your needs? They strike as one of the most respected and influential labels in contemporary black metal scene, and I believe it wasn't easy to get a deal with them...

- Napalm Records is a very good label. We have never had any problems with them. They have always supported us with all we have wanted.    I don't know if it's hard to get a deal with Napalm, it wasn't hard for us.

'Support the war against christianity' is the slogan which I often see at the multitude of covers, inlays and web-sites, but does it make any sense besides being highflown words?? Does anyone really think that such music as black metal may harm this... no, not religion, but a social institute which soaked the whole society with it's hypocritical essense? 'Profit' rules human minds nowadays, and there's very small amount of people who will gain by christianity's perishment or decline, quite the contrary - numerous 'operators' will try to avert the fall of christianity...

- You must look upon this slogan as a symbolic statement, not just look upon the words itself.

Do you believe that image (as well as everything else ingenuousnessly regarding black metal band's activities and music) should be 'evil' one? In general, can we talk about 'romantic black metal'?

- Black metal is about satanism and about concepts around it. If someone sees these things as romantic, then it's up to them.

What is your view upon so-called Swedish BM «phenomena»? I mean, there're thousands of bands coming from your country (especially, from Gothenburg area) which perform exactly the same kind of music as AT THE GATES, DARK TRANQUILLITY and DISSECTION did. This fact makes me terrified, because more and more of them are being spawned, while there's no man able to discern f.ex. SACRAMENTUM and BATTLELUST...

- I don't listen on so much new blackmetal-bands. It's too much shit around, everyone sounds as everyone else, besides some great bands of course. But look out for some friends of mine, IN AETERNUM, they will release a killer album on Necropolis by the end of this year.

What does 'trendy band' represent to you (within the bounds of black metal, of course)? Is there any possibility of seeing BM videos f.ex. on MTV soon, i.e. will this genre get 'mass-character'?

- A trendy band is for me a band that only is into black-metal (or other) because everyone else is that. A band that will change their musical approach when a new genre comes around. A band that miss-uses certain elements just to get publicity or sell allot of records. I don't say that it's wrong to sell allot of records or get publicity, it's OK if you do a certain thing and believe in it. But when people get commercial, changing lyrics and image when a record-company (or other) say so, 'do this and that and you will sell more', then they are dead in my eyes. Black-metal videos have already been showed on MTV. (ANCIENT, IMMORTAL, etc, etc…)

What do know and think of Russia as well as of my country's people and their mentality? Have you ever heard any Russian metal bands?

- I don't know that much about Russia that I can make a statement. Russian bands? Not a clue....
 
Thank you for this interview. Now it's time for your final words...

- My thanks goes to you Mathias for this interview, good luck in the future, and to all readers.... STAY FUCKING METAL!!!!

SIEBENBURGEN contact –
Email: beast666@altavista.net