USBMS Promotions is a network of underground Metal artists, labels, fans and promoters.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
INTERVIEW WITH SVARTTJERN (Norway)
USBMS Interview with SVARTTJERN
Done by Lady Nott
Lady Nott and the United StatesBlack Metal Sect, would like to thank
HansFyrste and Svarttjern for responding to this interview
1. Can you first tell me, what Svarttjern means, and what its significance is?
The name Svarttjern is near to impossible to explain in any other language than Norwegian. ’Svart’ is black, but the hard word is ’Tjern’. I cold just say that it is a Norwegian name for pond (pond of water) but the old Norwegian word for it has much more mystical references to it, and to be honest, sounds ridicules in any other language. We got the name from a old oil painting of a place in the forest called Svarttjern by the Norwegian painter August Cappelen.
2. What can you tell me about your debut album, "Misanthropic Path of Madness"?
Misanthropic Path of Madness represents fully Svarttjern’s chaotic era that we have grown in to as a band. You can her from the demos that we have stretched very wide over the black metal music style, and pulled in a lot of thrash parts over the years. Our debut album gathers everything we have done and ties the strings in a way that we create our own sound. The album is a wall of sound, and turned out extremely aggressive in all ways. This was our goal. One needs to listen to the album more than once to really ’get it’ in a way, because it holds so many aspects around it. And for those that say it is unoriginal, you diffidently have to sit down with some headphones and listen to it while sharpening your senses.
3. I know many people are curious about what the black metal scene is like in Oslo, Norway Is it thriving?
Well, it’s hard to say since the scene has got so big in many ways, and so many people that take ’part’ in it has nothing to do with it. Svarttjern has always been a independent band, and we have chosen in many ways to have a certain distance to the scene because of all the idiots in-between. But of course there are the truly dedicated guys that still keeps the scene alive in the ways it should be. And thanks to that there are still some mind-blowing concerts and projects going on in Oslo.Is it thriving? Well yes, as long as the fucking metal hippies don’t interfere. Bands are growing and strong bonds are still made, and I would say that Mr. Nattefrost holds allot of the honor for that fact. He proves that with independence one can go the furthest, and that is why he has became a good friend of the band in many ways. Fuck the ass-licking everybody is doing these days!
4. What are your feelings on the cultural shift of black metal from Scandinavia to the United States?
To be honest we don’t care.. A black metal band from ..Norway.. can sound just as good as one from the US or Sweden. It’s all about finding your own sound and spirit, and that will prove if one has something going or not.
5. What other bands have you played with, and what is a typical live show like?
The last years we have played with bands like Taake, Nattefrost, Koldbrann and Bombers, and that were great opportunities for us to reach out to more people. All the gigs have been very good, both performance and musical wise. The gigs are always extreme, ugly and brutal, that’s why we enjoy playing with these bans that have the same intentions as us.
6. What are the general feelings that Norwegians have towards black metal?
Depends on where you are in Norway In the bigger cities it is often respected as contribution to the culture and so on, but in smaller places black metal is still like it was in the late eighties and early nineties. One of the shows we had with Taake in a very small christian town in the middle of what we in Norway call ’the bible belt’, the organizer received mail threats from the towns people saying that they would stop this satanic concert with violence if the didn’t cancel it. We didn’t care, brought in extra security and both bands played. So all in all it depends on where you are in Norway.
7. Are the visual aspects of your live performance an important part of your set, and if so, why?
In some ways yes, but of course the music is the most important thing. For my sake I always enjoy having dead animals with me in some way on stage. Around my neck, hanging from the roof or in my pants, either way it gives me something unique. We want our shows to be ugly and dark, but there is a fine line we don’t want to cross over to when things looks stupid. We want people to hurt inside when they se us live, and one time we got a girl to throw up, and another to be escorted out by security for crying and almost collapsing. Good times.
8. Do your lyrics portray your personal feelings, if so, in what ways?
Yes. Pure passionate misanthropic philosophy. Codes and mazes to reach down to peoples sub consciousness. Humans today are weaker and softer than ever before, and renouncing their true nature. My lyrics are close to impossible to understand for most people, because even the simplest sentence has a much deeper philosophical meaning that builds the underlying structure and codes. My own numerology and codes hides my true paths in life from the slaves.
9. Do you have plans to go on tour? If so,where?
For now we only have two gigs booked, Netherlands in March and Germany in August. We have talked to some bands about touring, but to early to say anything more about it. But we are open for suggestions, and really want to tour.
10. What can we expect from Svarttjern in the future?
You can expect some great gigs with some great bands, and of course more albums. Svarttjern will always represent the honest independent black metal, and prove that by being honest, passionate and hard working, one will get the most out of this art.
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