Ave! How are the things with you band going? Do you have any news
concerning NECROMICON?

- Well, we are still in the studio and working. It has taken quite some time now, almost three months, but I think it will be worth the effort.

I heard that your new album will be out on Hammerheart Records, is that truth? Why did you stop cooperating with I.C.R.? You have some well-known BM labels in Sweden, such as No Fashion or Black Sun, why didn't you sign with them?

- Well, after our debut album we had offers from different record
companies, and among those offers we considered Hammerheart Records to be the most interesting. I think it might be good for a Swedish band like us to be on a foreign label.

"Realm Of Silence" featured one female person with very pleasant voice (at least, to my ears)... Can you tell me anything about her? Are you going to use female vocals in the future?

- Her name was Caroline, but for this album we are using a different
female vocalist. Her name is Sara, and she sings in a lower octave than Caroline.

Buying your debut album, I thought of NECROMICON as of typical BM band, though I changed my opinion after listening to "Realm..." - your music has a lot of death, doom and even heavy metal elements as well... So, we can't label your band as definite black metal, right?

- No, and that is good. You can label it as definite METAL, though, but actually I think "dark music" is adequate... it perhaps puts limits to a band claiming to be this or that, and then they cannot do what they want for the next album... Somewhat boring, right?

What is your opinion of Swedish death metal? I'm sure that this music
doesn't worth such enormous popularity...

- I will disagree with you, actually. I do for myself think that Swedish death metal (as a different style from death metal) is best made in Sweden, just as Norwegian black metal is best made in Norway. Also I think that countries like Spain and Portugal are real good on doom / gothic and that Germany is killer in speed. BUT there are a hell of a lot of bands from other countries that do that kind of music killer also.

Why did you name your band as "Necromicon", not "Necronomicon"? (Was that Swiss thrash band a motive for that?). What about ancient Sumerian mythology, are you interested in this topic?

- The reason for the shortened name (it was "Necronomicon" from the
beginning) was mainly for spelling purposes, since no one could spell or pronounce the word. It did not do any difference at that though, but nowadays it shows more the difference between us and the book.

Most people playing black metal nowadays are hiding their real names and using kind of a "ritual" aliases; what is the reason for that, how do you think?

- Perhaps for the same reason to use paint, smoke and strange intro tracks on records: they try to accomplish a mystical feeling. I think names can be both lousy and interesting, depending on if the person takes the name for the reason that he feels he is like this or that demon or wraith. If someone just takes something that sounds good and doesn't know shit about the meaning... no.

You were composing and recording your debut album for almost two years, why did it take such a long time? Does it mean, that we must wait for two years until NECROMICON will unleash it's next effort?

- Yes (NO!!! - ED).

Who writes music and lyrics in NECROMICON? What is your personal
participation in the band?

- Music: mainly Niclas and Stefan. Lyrics: mainly me and Robert. Thus I participate in writing most of the lyrics, and also most of the keyboard parts. I also have the role as "The Father" on the new album.

Can you name any worthy BM albums, you've heard recently?

- Yes, DIMMU BORGIR's new "Enthrone Darkness Triumphant".

Do you still care for death metal? Is this type of music still alive? And what about traditional black metal, without keyboards, female vocals, violins, folk or other music styles' elements? Such bands as DARKTHRONE, AURA NOIR, KOHORT, LORDES WERRE, didn't they exhaust themselves?

- Death metal is still alive in my ears, at least. It is a significant part in the kind of metal I personally prefer, the one that still has not taken shape. Concerning traditional BM; I admire those bands that can make it good. There are not many of them around, because I think many new bands have trouble creating the depth in that genre. So that scene is not exhausted yet, but it is flooded.

What about using make-up? What does it mean to you? Shaitan from MZ. 412 said that "...You get another feeling of "being". Behind the mask you can easier release your true feelings and powers...", will you agree with him? Speaking about "another feeling of "being"", how can it be achieved? Is it possible?

- Yes, I agree with that. I reject bands that go on stage looking like usual, because it takes away the idea of live concerts. I think the point with playing live should be to convey the message through both an audial and a visual medium.

Melancholy and depression - do you see any difference between these two terms? Are you a kind of person, liable to depression? In my opinion, it's nothing to be proud of - depressed person is a weak person, and every kind of weakness should be perished and banned out of human being...

- Melancholy is a feeling, depression is a disease of the mind. Thus I agree on that one, an intelligent person should strive to banish his depression and realize that it is a sick state of mind. However, a depressed person who manages to rise from his or her illness will be much stronger than those who never have been there.

What do you want to achieve with NECROMICON?

- Make metal that has (hopefully) not been made yet...

Are you into the typical "metal" attitude and clothes - spikes, leather, etc...? How would you react, if I'll say that we must hide our true faces in the crowd and reveal them only in the dark to thrust a knife into our enemy's back...? "Mystery is power" - do you agree?

- I wear exactly the clothes I prefer for the moment. I don't care what anyone thinks about me anyway, and it's just as fun to wear jeans and leather in fancy surroundings (and thus piss off fancy people) as it is to do the opposite. People who thinks this or that ("You can't be dressed like THAT") are so pathetic that it makes me sick. They just don't have a life.

Anything else you want to add?

- No, very interesting interview actually...

Last curses?

- Hail and Kill to all Brothers of Metal.

NECROMICON
c/o Robert Sundelin
Norrskensst. 3, 974 51 Lulea,
Sweden

c/o Daniel Bjorkman
Lillbrogatan 7 B,
941 32 Pitea,
Sweden

Email (Roger):
midgnight@hem.passagen.se