1. Total Hate began its journey around the year 2000, the name is clear and concise, but hate for what and towards what? Is all that hatred that inspired you to create the band still relevant today or do you think something could have changed?
- Well, the motives from back then are still present today, perhaps they have shifted somewhat or were simply accepted as unchangeable. The virus humanity was and still is simply unbelievably stupid and should largely be eradicated. With everything that is currently happening on this planet, humanity is definitely on the right track.
2. Although you have been active for more than two decades, it seems that you are going through your best moment, this seems that it has not always been like this, from the original formation of the band only you continue, how have you faced all the passage of different musicians in the band, has it been a totally necessary process to move forward or at some point have you thought of putting an end to Total Hate?
- Yes it's been a long time when I founded the band. Every line-up change had a reason, usually because musicians were tired and were no longer giving 100%. Some had lost interest in black metal, some didn't want to play live anymore. Everything had to happen in order to have a very strong line-up with motivated guys. But breaking up the band was never an option.
3. Following the above, you already have your sixth full-length ready, just one year after your previous album. Can we talk about two albums that are sound-consistent? Did you already have in mind when finishing the previous one how you wanted the new album to sound? How was the whole process of composing and recording “Forthcoming Age of the Reaper”? What brands of instruments have you used in the process?
- I think you can't really compare "Marching Towards Humanicide" with our new album. Both are 100% Total Hate albums, but on the one hand our long-time guitarist Aer had written several songs on the previous album and on the other hand we recorded a little differently this time. We knew that Czernobog would be writing most of the songs on "Forthcoming Age..." and were excited to hear what the result would sound like. He and Serrator worked out most of the songs together in the rehearsal room and then we all flew to Norway to record the album in a week and we were faster than expected. Some ideas came spontaneously in the studio. We were allowed to borrow all the instruments, which was very practical and way cheaper than bringing our own guitars with us. Our drummer played on a Yamaha kit, Goathammer had a solar guitar, I can't really remember the rest right now.
4. It seems that with each new Total Hate release, the sound becomes more violent and raw, thanks, I think, to the successful balance between that classic and underground black sound with more current influences. Above all, I would like to highlight the production work of Mattis Elvestuen in this new album. How important do you think Mattis’ work has been in achieving the final touch to the sound of the album? What bands and styles are an influence for you when working on the music of Total Hate? How would you define the sound of the new album for someone who doesn’t know you yet?
- I would say the sound is more brutal and powerful than the previous releases, yes. The first two albums were a bit rougher, because we recorded everything ourselves. We didn't really have much of a clue how to do it all back then. Recording with Mattis was definitely amazing, because someone with such a musical background doesn't need to be told what black metal should sound like. For my part, I have strong roots in the scandinavian, or norwegian, 90s and I think that applies to all songwriters. On the new album, we may have drifted a little towards Finland in one or two songs, where there is currently the strongest black metal scene, but bands like Impaled Nazarene, Horna, Crimson Evenfall, Musta Surma & Warloghe have always been an influence for us. I would say if you want to hear honest, aggressive, hateful music that has class, then you should listen to our stuff.
5. Satanism, anti-humanity, hate and more hate. When it comes to writing the lyrics, I see that you don't lack inspiration in the world we live in. Are these themes inherent to a style like black metal? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?
- This topics fit perfectly with black metal and it seems that this music was created for it. There are maybe one or two genres where these topics would also fit, but black metal is definitely number 1. I think these kinds of lyrics called for this kind of music.
6. You have worked with Munin's View to create the album cover. What is the meaning of this cover? What did you want to convey to the listener with it and how does it relate to the content of the album?
- The idea for the cover came about in the studio. I guess everybody realizes the grim reaper on the cover. He will swing his scythe very often in the coming months and years and many people will die in the coming times, everything points to this and some have understood it, others still don't want to or can't see it. With a few exceptions, most of the lyrics are about this too.
7. War Anthem Records will be in charge of the album release. The previous album was released by Eisenwald. Why this change of record label for the release of the new album? Is the cassette release a tribute to the releases of the nineties? What is your opinion of a physical format like the cassette today? Is there a certain nostalgia for past times in this format?
- In fact, the last three albums were released through Eisenwald and Eternity Records. I had the feeling that we were treading water and that we needed to try something new. That affected the label, the studio and the cover and I feel that the decisions were the right ones. When I discovered music as a child, there were only cassettes and vinyl, and later came the CD. I think it's great that there are still tapes, all of our releases were also on tape and as long as there are labels and fans who support that, Total Hate stuff will be released on all three formats.
8. “Dødsmarsj til helvete” is the song that closes the album, which is a cover of the Norwegian band Urgehal. Why did you choose this band and this song to close the album? How did the process of covering the song take place?
- The song is more than just a cover. It helps ensure that Trondr Nefas' legacy will never be forgotten. We met the Urgehal guys in Germany in 2002, met up now and again, sometimes in Oslo, sometimes in Germany, traded releases and are still in touch after all the years. The song just fits our style well and we have covered it live several times. We always wanted to record the song and when we were in Hønefoss to record the album, it was just the perfect moment. The song was only supposed to be included as an LP bonus track, but later we decided to add it on the cassette and CD versions too.
9. With more than twenty years of career behind you in the black metal scene, I suppose you have faced different difficulties over time. What does black metal mean to you? How do you think the black metal scene in Germany has evolved over these years? What do you miss the most from the scene of the late nineties? What is the black metal scene like in a city like Nuremberg?
- I have been involved in black metal for almost 30 years and, unlike those who were involved for a few years and then disappeared again, I can say that black metal is more than just music and a way of life. The magic of this music and of metal in general will never end. There used to be countless good bands in Germany, but today there are probably not even half as many as there were back then. What bothers me most is the appropriation of black metal by people who constantly bring politics into it, these constant witch hunts on labels, musicians and bands and the fact that bands today call themselves black metal who would have been pulled off the stage in the 90s. In the past, there were many good bands like I said, that appeared on stage with corpse paint, fire, blood, gladiator boots, bullets and spikes. Today, on the one hand, there are short-haired students with their glasses and sneakers and on the other hand, people pull a sack over their heads or put on silly helmets and put on a ridiculous show on stage or a combination of both. Back then, people were serious about it and there were unwritten rules that everyone respected. The fact that there are always some crappy metal comedy films in the cinema says it all. (Black) metal is not a joke, but has been made into one over the years and it is time for hate, aggression, violence, seriousness, intolerance, anger and rebellion to return. Metal must become a thorn in society’s side again! I haven't lived in Nuremberg for a few years now and have somewhat lost track, but it would be news to me that there are pure black metal bands outside of our circle that uphold the old values. Unfortunately, Wolfthorn no longer exists, Aether and Lunatic Affliction are among the only ones who still breathe the air of the 90s. Black metal in Nuremberg had its heyday when Akhenaten of Judas Iscariot lived here, after that it declined. There have also been a few concerts in the past that have been cancelled, so I prefer to travel to other cities for black metal shows. It feels like there are far more people in our hometown who listen to the music than there were back in the late 90s, but unfortunately black metal and Nuremberg only work within a certain framework. Other good bands from our area are Goath, Horns of Domination, Hellish Crossfire & Venenum to name some.
10. Have you already started to present some new songs from the new album live? What concert dates have you already set? With which bands would you like to share the bill on a tour due to ideological and sound affinity?
- Yes, at the last show in Erfurt we already had 2 new songs in the setlist. For personal reasons we can't play any more shows until the summer as it seems, so in january we'll be playing our last show until around september with our brothers from Drudensang and Valosta Varjoon. There are also plans for our 25th years anniversary show near our hometown. The last tour with Drudensang, Whiskey Ritual and Amystery was very good and I could imagine touring again with this line-up. Otherwise it would be great to tour with a bigger band, but we won't pay for it and we don't want to play bands with rock star attitudes either. Marduk, Watain, Endezzma, Taake, Carpathian Forest or Urgehal would be great. The latter probably won't happen.
11. How did you get started in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your life made you want to be a musician?
- When I was a child I loved searching for music on the radio for ages, but I didn't like much of it. When I heard rock songs by Michael Jackson or the Beastie Boys I thought "that's exactly what I like". There was also a show with music videos on German television where I saw the Bed of Nails video by Alice Cooper. That was incredibly hard back then. At school my classmates gave me punk cassettes and the B-side had songs by Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Anthrax and Slayer. One thing led to another and when I was 14 I went to a Guns N Roses, Faith No More and Soundgarden concert with a friend and his dad. The second concert was Metallica on the Black Album tour. Then there was a local radio show, MTV's Headbangers Ball and one or two people at my school who were into harder music, that's how I got into Kreator, Sepultura & Sodom, until then death metal and bands like Deicide and Morbid Angel came along. Then there were the first mixtapes where I held a cassette recorder up to the TV to record my favorite video clips. After listening to such tapes all the time, the path to the black metal sound was perhaps quite easy. I was hungry, completely obsessed and always looking for even harder music. When death metal slowly became boring, I discovered live photos of Immortal and Impaled Nazarene in the window of a metal shop in Nuremberg. It was basically our local Helvete, where we later bought and sold demos. The photos of the bands blew me away and when I heard the music, I somehow knew that something was happening. I got hold of used CDs of Darkthrone and Burzum there and I made more and more contacts in the black metal scene. At some point at a birthday party, the idea came up: Hey, let's start a band too. That was 1996/1997 and the birth of Seeds of Hate.
12. What album represents the essence of black metal for you? What last albums have you bought?
- It's hard for me to name just one, so I' would say: Darkthrone - Under A Funeral Moon, Gorgoroth - Pentagram, Burzum - Det Som Engang Var, Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse, Marduk - Those of the Unlight. None of the albums sound the same, but everything is 100% black metal. The last albums I bought were 3 lps of Baxaxaxa after we played with them in Erfurt. Before that I bought the Avmakt demo tape and their first record on vinyl. Great old school stuff from Norway.
13. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for Total Hate fans this is the place. I hope you like the questions.
- You're welcome and thank you for the interview! Support the real underground bands and labels!
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