Interview – Kirkebrann

Back in august after reviewing their opus magnum, Kilian got the change to do an interview and Januz, (guitar), Hrafn (bass) and Draug )lyrics & vocals) was so kind to take their time to answer all his questions as presented here. Thanks to the guys in Kirkebrann and to Hellstain Productions for making this possible.

How are you doing since the official release of Mot Trellenes Forfall?

Januz;  I thought we would be stoned or burned alive by now for the album art, but seems like people get the picture. I’ve met one fan who enjoyed the music on a concert I attended with Draug, so that was nice to hear.

Hrafn; We’re happy with the outcome. It has afterall been a long journey for its release. We’re independent on every aspect from composing, producing and mixing which will make newer releases spur quicker with lesser gaps between full lengths. We’ve done enough splits and have no plans or desire to do more of those either.

It was 4 years between the album before and this one, how much of the time was actually spent on the recording?

Januz; More like 11 years between the full lengths “Når Alt Dør” and “Mot Trellenes Forfall”, unless you’re thinking of the splits that were released in 2020 and 2021. It has been about three years since the release of the “Kirkegard” split with Visegard. Recording of “Mot Trellenes Forfall” took place over a span of a year since our previous drummer injured his wrist and eventualy quit. Nødset stepped in on drums from there and all instruments and main vocals were recorded in 2015, guests appearances in 2016. 

The Album cover is quite intriguing can you tell me what’s the story behind it?

Januz; Imagine how advanced humantiy would be today without those big 3 existing, could have populated other planets by now.

Hrafn; “Mot Trellenes Forfall” Translates to “Toward The Downfall Of Slaves” or rather “The Imminent Fall of Slaves”. I guess this is the subject nobody want’s to talk about since we are all in the mids of it. We’re heading toward mass control and totalitarianism, but this time – as throughout all of history – it’s in the information age, the digital age. We might think it’s different but it’s all the same in history’s artful repetitiveness . We’re sleepwalking on our way toward the cliff, led by deceptive propagandists and atrocious thieves that play with our “herd” mind, directing this movie we see as political reality. The album depicts the complacently of our demise in this beautiful world. Attention led to misleading cultural movements that serve only to further divide and ensure that we lose all strength in numbers – collectively, willingly jumping off the cliff, so to speak. 

Englemaker means like babykiller in German, is that what the roughness is about ? (Not in a bad way of course)

Januz; Oh, I got inspired from this docuseries about a crazy radiohost and musician performing the seven deadly sins. In one segment they told about how back in the day when orphan children were sold off to new families for mere 20 kroners (2 euros) whom were basically worked and starved to death. Sounded like a subject that fitted the song. The name means “angel-maker” cause the children were nicknamed “angels”, poor innocent angels, sold off for a penny, and easy to replace with new ones that would ultimately face the same fate.

Hrafn; As Januz explained. Kristoffer Scahu (The Dogs, The Cumshots) is a legend here in Norway and made this subject clear to us through his experimental series “Seven Deadly Sins”. In this program portaying “greed”, they spoke of how orphans used to be relocated to any families/farms that were willing to adopt for mere 20 kroners (2 euros) per child in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s I believe. During those times it was equivolent to about a months pay. Anyone could adopt with no safeguarding which resulted in numerous heartless households adopting for the sole purpose of pocketing a few kroners. The children were neglectet, starved or killed for the subsidization. These new parents from hell basically killed children for a mere months wage, hence “englemaker”. The fact that it means babykiller in German is an interesting coincidence or perhaps there’s some common cultural thread we haven’t noticed as “englemaker” would translate to someone who produces angels. As those poor children were nothing but pure innocence in life made to die by the hands of ruthless and greedy babykillers. 

What was the recording process like? Can you maybe give some input also on the gear used?

Hrafn; Well, It was almost 10 years ago. We didn’t know what the hell we were doing. We just mic’d the cabinet and hit record. The album was a bastard to mix by means of our inept procedure. We were basically just “winging it” and going along with what felt ok sound-vise for us at the time. The album was the first to open me and Januz to collaborating on the songwriting. We used to call it a schitzo album since the songs varied as much as they did. But I guess we’ve just become as schitzo as a conglomerate now that not one single song sounds like the other. I recently read a review that commented the opposite refering to the songs on the album sounding too much alike or something like that. Well, that’s just their opinion. There are plenty of bands that stick to one formula and tend to stagnate on particular build-ups and song structure. Black metal tends to flow more like classical music along the sonic journey and by and large no given structure, or that is mostly the case anyway.  I guess some critics might think we are too aligned with the 90’s second wave of black metal. We like to vary and not chase one particular structure or sound for that matter. We want to expand and welcome new creative inputs even though we might (there and then) think it’s not fitting or that it comes about as sort of isolated in belonging. We move forward, look back in musing and go forward once again. The roots expand deeper toward the underworld.

As far as gear goes, we used a Carvin X100B on the lead and a Marshall JCM 2000 60 watt stack for rythm. SM57’s and Audix OM3 on the cabinets. I think we used Røde NT5 as overheads for the drums. SM57’s on the snare top and bottom. Cheap tom mics of some sort, Shure beta 91 on the bass drum and Røde NT1 for the room. Bass was recorded straight from the cabinet speaker with a single Shure Beta 57A. Draug hand-held an SM57 with no popfilter for the vocals. Not exacly expensive gear or the approach most professional studios would go about the recording process, but you’ve got to start somewhere. Use what you have, do what you can, enjoy the process and grow in knowledge from there.

Januz; Recording process was relatively quick. For me I still use the same bass and equipment I used then. I didn’t use any fancy pedals or effects on this record, but that might change.

You switch back and forth between Norwegian and English, how come?

Draug; I started writing English lyrics in the beginning as it felt like the easiest approach. But later on when diving deeper into themes and storylines for the songs it became clear that Norwegian was the best language for me. I’m not foreign to writing in English in the future.

Januz; I actually want to write more English lyrics. I usually only write in Norwegian, but some themes and words sound better in Wnglish. This whole record is Norwegian because “Norwegian black metal for Norwegians, fuck the rest”, but that might change too if the band is down to alternate. I wasn’t part of the first album who had other writers.

Hrafn; I’m open for English lyrics. Why not? I disagree with Januz here. The album is not specifically written in Norwegian because it’s only for Norwegians to grasp and understand… “That’s just like, your opinion, man”.

Parasittenes Planet is kind of self explaining but were you reflecting on what’s going on in the world currently or what was your thought process like?

Hrafn; This song was written by our previous guitarist JK. Draug wrote the lyrics. It slams hard. I interpret it as a hate-letter to the suffering of humanity as it stands now. Also, the parasites of the earth for me would refer to the war-machine and the so called “elites” that are screwing us all over at an accelerating rate.

Draug; JK had the riffs and the title for the song. We arranged it and to our surprise became one of the most aggressive tracks on the album. I wrote the lyrics in one sitting with a bottle of whiskey in a pissed off mood, drunk and inspired by wrath. Some lyrics take days, weeks or sit for months before completion while others get done in an hours time. This one was one of those sort of channelings – in anger towards the world.

Now that you received some very good reviews are you planning on touring the album?

Januz; I would like to say next year, but as of now we’ve only been booked for one festival in 2025.

Hrafn; We finally got a new drummer after two years of hiatus. We’re going to have to get to it again and see what we can book for the next year. We’re already booked for a festival in Germany. I’m not sure if I can disclose which festival as they’ve not announced us on the line up yet. Perhaps we will play some gigs here in Norway this year.

They have since this interview was conducted, announced these shows:

Sort Messe 5, 8th of february: Sort Messe facebook

Inferno 18th of april: Inferno 2025

-Editor

Thank you for taking the time and congratulations on the album, it’s definitely a strong contender for Album of the year for me.

Hrafn; Very much obliged. We’re proud of “MTF” and to have finally released the album after all these years and are looking forward to recording the next one as soon as we revive the band and get the gears going again.

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