1. Although the band was formed in 2008, it ceased activity in 2010, only to resume around 2020. Why did you decide to create Funeral Pile? What happened in the band's early days that led to the hiatus, and where did the idea to return a decade later come from? Why did you choose the name Funeral Pile, and what does it refer to?
Back in 2008 we were all still teenagers and completely obsessed with metal, and honestly, I think we still are in many ways. We simply wanted to create music instead of only listening to it and contribute our own part to the culture.
The band eventually split up because some of us moved away to study, while others started apprenticeships or full-time jobs, and suddenly nobody had enough time left to continue the band properly. Even during those years, though, we all stayed in contact.
Then in 2020, we all met again on New Year’s Eve, and almost out of an inner urge we decided to bring the band back to life. We discussed for a long time whether we should choose a new name or keep the old one, but since we still had the old logo and nobody came up with a better idea, we decided to stick with Funeral Pile. According to legend, the name itself was created during a very, very drunken night. 😉
2. You recently released "Summoning," your second full-length album, which follows your debut, "Evoked in Flames" (2021). The second album is often said to be the most difficult, the one that brings you recognition. Did you experience this feeling while working on "Summoning"? How did you approach the songwriting and recording process for this new album? What brands of instruments did you use?
Yes, working on Summoning was definitely much more intense and came with a lot more pressure attached to it. With the first album, we simply started writing and recording without overthinking anything, because at that time we had no real plans or expectations. The fact that it was received so positively honestly surprised us.
Because of that, we really wanted to do everything right with the second album and push ourselves further in every aspect. The songwriting process itself stayed mostly the same, though: everyone tried to contribute the very best they could to each song, whether instrumentally or lyrically.
We play Solar guitars with Kemper profiling amps, Spector Basses with Darkglass Amps and for playing live we use Tama drums. We are not endorsed. We've invested a lot of money in our instruments and believe we have the best ones for our style.
3. The new album incorporates a wide range of styles and influences within extreme metal, from black metal to doom and melodic death metal. However, in my opinion, there's a greater sense of cohesion compared to "Evoked in Flames." Do you share this feeling? How would you describe the album's sound to someone who hasn't heard it yet? What bands or styles influenced you when composing "Summoning"?
All of us have very different musical backgrounds and tastes. I personally come more from the black metal side, while Annike, for example, comes more from the death metal side. Everyone tries to add the elements that fit them best, and then we work together to find the best way to combine everything. Most of the time, this results in a really good mixture of all our favorite genres.
It’s difficult to describe the sound because, as you mentioned, there are so many different aspects of extreme metal blended together. The best thing is probably to listen to it and form your own opinion. Some people place us more in the black metal corner, while others hear us more as death/doom metal — it really depends on the listener’s own preferences. But I think that’s exactly what makes it exciting.
4. For the themes of the songs, you've chosen literary works by Lovecraft and the events of Shackleton's ill-fated expedition—elements that focus on terror and darkness. Where did the ideas for incorporating these themes come from, and why did you choose these specific ones? Do the lyrics adapt to the music, or vice versa?
Ralf and I are both very interested in history and literature, and we naturally tend to gravitate toward stories that don’t necessarily have a happy ending. That’s where our fascination with themes involving terror, death, and darkness comes from.
At the same time, these themes also fit our sound naturally. Topics about beautiful nature, romance, or overly positive stories simply wouldn’t work with the atmosphere of our music.
5. You handled the recording process for the album yourself. Why did you decide to get involved in this process? Did you have a clear idea of how you wanted the album to sound and not want anyone else to interfere with that vision, or was it a decision you made on the fly? Why did you choose to work with Konst Fischer for mixing and mastering?
We run the band alongside our full-time jobs. Plus, each of us has a family. We don’t have the time to lock ourselves away in recording studios for long periods. Home recording gives us the flexibility we need and also the time to let the songs mature. Furthermore, Martin has the experience and the equipment for it. He has already worked with major producers in his previous bands and knows what it takes to push us creatively and drive the songs forward.
But for the mixing and mastering, we decided to hand it over to someone else—an experienced sound engineer who might be able to bring out aspects of our sound that we hadn’t even thought of ourselves. We decided to work with Konst Fischer because Martin had known him for many years and knew that he is a great guy and very easy to work with. We were also familiar with some of his work, which we thought was excellent. And he has also done great work with metal bands that have made it into the charts, such as Serious Black.
6. Who designed the album cover? What does it represent, and how does it relate to the album's content?
The album artwork was designed by Artem Demura. He is mainly known for his concept artwork in the video game industry, but he has also created covers for several metal bands, including Woods of Desolation. We immediately fell in love with his style, and working with him was very smooth and uncomplicated.
The artwork itself also contains several hidden references and details connected to the lyrics and themes of the album, which ties the visual concept directly to the music.
7. For the new album, you've also taken a step forward and decided to self-release it on CD and vinyl. What prompted this decision? Was there no interest from any record label, or do you simply prefer to have more control over your music?
To be honest, we were looking for a label. There were some interested companies, but no offer that seemed fair and reputable to us. In the end, we didn’t want to wait any longer for offers, so we decided to release it ourselves. At that point, independence was more important to us, even if it now’s entirely up to us to get our music out there.
We would still be interested in working with a label in the future, but only if both sides can meet on equal terms and work together in a way that benefits both the band and the label.
8. German black metal and extreme metal in general from your country have always been a benchmark beyond its borders, with countless styles and genres. However, focusing on Bavaria, where you come from, is there a solid extreme black metal scene in this area? Did everything function somewhat like a "brotherhood," hence the collaboration with Winterherz from Waldgeflüster on the track "The Mill"? Could you tell us a little more about this collaboration and how it came about?
The extreme metal scene here in Bavaria—and especially in Munich—is relatively large. But the bands that have been active for a long time and also perform live are the ones you keep meeting at concerts and festivals. Because of that, especially within black metal, people tend to know each other personally, and over the years friendships and connections between bands develop naturally.
.I’ve personally known Winterherz for many years, and our bassist Martin is also a member of his band Waldgeflüster. What many people don’t know is that since we reformed, Waldgeflüster shared their rehearsal room with us because we couldn't find a room of our own. Rehearsal romos are hard to find here.On top of that, Thomas, Waldgeflüster’s drummer, mixed our first album. So our connection with them has always been very close, and we honestly owe those guys a lot.
Because of that, it felt completely natural to ask Winterherz if he would lend his voice to one of our songs. The collaboration worked out perfectly, and we honestly couldn’t be happier with the result.
9. How is the live presentation of the new album going? What concerts do you have scheduled in the coming weeks?
We already celebrated the release of the album at the GrowlBowl Festival in Munich, and the entire show was accompanied by a film crew. Because of that, anyone interested in the band will soon be able to get an impression of us as a live act through YouTube videos.
We also have several more concerts planned for the coming months. The exact dates will be published son on our social merida accounts.. We can already reveal that later this year we will be sharing the stage with bands like Deserted Fear and Waldgeflüster.
10. How did you get started in music: the first concerts you attended, the first albums you bought? What event in your lives pushed you to want to become musicians?
The first CDs I ever bought for myself were Hymn by Barclay James Harvest and Out Of The Blue by ELO. I think I was around eight or nine years old at the time. Out Of The Blue is still one of my all-time favorite albums today and the artwork is fantastic on that.
It took a few more years before I discovered metal, probably when I was around twelve or thirteen. It started with Oceanborn by Nightwish, and from there it quickly progressed through bands like Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir until I eventually found black metal.
Today my musical taste is very broad, but black metal has never let go of me since then. Every year I still discover new artists that inspire me all over again.
My very first concert, by the way, was DJ Bobo — at the tender age of nine. 😉
The urge to make music myself came very early on. For me, it was always about contributing my own small part to metal culture and helping to carry this passion and scene forward.
11. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? What are the most recent albums you've bought?
One of the very first black metal albums I ever listened to was Nemesis Divina by Satyricon, and for me that album still contains everything that defines the essence of a great black metal record: atmosphere, aggression, melody, and that very unique feeling that only black metal can create. That is exactly how black metal should sound to me.
The most recent albums I bought were Best Of by John Denver, Era by Asarhaddon, and Deiform by Funeral Mist. So my taste in music definitely goes far beyond metal alone.
At this point I also have a huge list of albums that I still want to buy someday. Every month I manage to cross a few off the list — while at the same time the list somehow keeps getting longer and longer. 😉
12. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit. If you'd like to add anything for Funeral Pile fans, this is the place. I hope you enjoy the questions.
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone supporting us from so many different countries around the world. We truly appreciate every single interaction, whether it’s meeting people at concerts or receiving messages and emails online. Without all of you, there would be no music and no scene.
And of course, thank you as well for this great interview and for the interesting questions. We hope that someday we’ll get the chance to continue this conversation over a beer.
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