Good morning, thank you very much for answering these questions, how is everything going in Stavanger?
Good morning to you too. You’re very welcome. And thanks for the interest in Noen hater oss. Much appreciated!
Things are pretty good in Stavanger these days, also in the neighboring city of Sandnes where i currently reside. We are approaching the winter months now. Summer is slowly dying and a darker, colder time awaits. A perfect time for ones creativity i dare say.
1. When did you decide to create Noen Hater Oss? Why did you choose this name and what does it refer to?
I created Noen hater oss as a solo project after i rediscovered my love for black metal in 2016. I had a period of time around 2010 where i almost didnt listen to black metal at all. Guess i needed a little break from this dark art of ours, for it can definitely take it’s toll on you.
The line «Noen hater oss» (Someone hates us) comes from a John Ajvide Lindqvist novel called «Menneskehavn», or «Harbour» in english. I think you’ll have to read the novel to fully understand the context. But for me it represents the anger of the gods. Their hate and their contempt towards us. Against all of humankind.
2. “Kunsten aa gjoere jorden ubeboelig” is the third album released by Noen Hater Oss, however it is the first without Morloc, what happened to decide to go ahead alone with the project? How did you face the process of composing and recording the new album? What brands of instruments have you used in the process?
Actually it’s the fourth album. Not the third.
So basically what happened was that me and Morloc could no longer agree on the path we wanted to take with Noen hater oss. I wont go too much into detail out of respect for Morloc, but i can say this: Noen hater oss has allways been and will forever be my band. And in the end, when all comes to all, it is me who make the big decisions regarding the future of my band.
Still, it needs to be said, Morloc’s contributions to the band has been invaluable. The songs and lyrics he wrote for «Siste stopp skjærsilden» and the vocals he provided for the first two albums is pure gold in my opinion. I still consider him a friend and i certainly wish him all the best for his future projects.
The composing and recording process of the new album was pretty much the same as with the previous albums. The only major difference this time was that i did all the vocals as well as everything else. This was somewhat challenging since i never had much experience with doing vocals. So there was a lot of trial and error at first. Eventually i found the vocal style that suited my voice best and just went with it. Personally i think it turned out great, even though it’s not a typical black metal vocal style. Mine is more rich baritone, more dynamic and expressive than the typical screaming vocals. Yet still it has a lot of grimness to it.
The brand of instruments i used for this album was a mix between an Epiphone Studio Les Paul model guitar and an ESP eletric guitar. On bass i used an Epiphone thunderbird. Fender steel stringed guitar for acoustics. Alesis digital drum set (manually played offcourse, not machine drums). Sennheiser X1 mic for vocals and an Apogee Mic for acoustic guitar. Im not really an instrument nerd to be honest, as long as it sounds decent and the tone is right it’s good enough for me.
3. The sound of the new album is nourished by many elements and structures of the most classic black sound, both in the voices and in the instrumentation, however there is also a differentiating contribution in sections such as the voices, how would you describe the sound of the new album for those who have not heard it yet? What bands or styles are an influence when composing music for Noen Hater Oss?
I would describe the sound of the new album as more or less classical Noen hater oss, but with a little more musical experimentation than the last. The slow tracks are a little bit slower, while the fast and agressive tracks are a little bit more fast and agressive. The vocals are the biggest difference from the previous albums i would say. Some will love it, some will hate it. Just like it should be. Cant please everyone apparently.
I am influenced by all the music i listen to in one way or another. Mostly i listen to classical music, black metal, preferably 90’s era, but also some newer stuff. Some dark pop music, synth pop, some punk rock, some heavy metal.
One particular album that i was listening to a great deal when recording the Kunsten album was Roger Waters The dark side of the moon Redux. A really dark, atmospheric and gloomy rerecording of a timeless masterpiece.
4. I was talking about the voices earlier, about their textures and the dark tone they display in this new release. What themes do your lyrics deal with? Are there influences from folk themes in them or do they only narrate bloody events? Do the lyrics adapt to the music or vice versa?
Yes, there have allways been a lot of influences from folk themes in Nho, especially from norwegian folklore, old folk stories and superstitions in the past albums. But not very much of that on the new one. The lyrics on «Kunsten» deal mostly with insanity, fanaticism, Delusions of grandeur, and death. It’s kind of a concept album, where there is a red line that runs through all the songs of the album. That red line being insanity. So no, not only bloody events, but quite a bit of that too.
Usually the lyrics adapt to the music. The music usually comes first, then the lyric are customly written for that specific song. But sometimes it’s vice versa also. There are many roads leading to Rome as they say.
5. There is not much information about the recording, mixing and mastering process of the album. Did you personally take care of it or did you work with a recording studio or producer?
All recordings and mixing took place in Crevasse studio, which is my own home studio. Some of the guitars parts was recorded in Morloc’s studio, but mostly in mine. I mixed the album myself, but the mastering of the album was done by Magnus Gulbrandsen at Jeløy mastering studio.
6. In some way the album cover foreshadows a murder inside a church. How did you come up with the idea for the cover? What does it really represent and how does it relate to the content of the album?
The album cover is something of a unsettling experience in itself. It depicts a nightmarish winter scene in the norwegian mountains. Under the watchfull eye of an ominous bloodmoon, something sacrilegious is going on in this seemingly abandoned stave church. Where blood runs out if the entrance, and down the snowy path. But we dont get the full story served up on a plate here. My recommendation would be for the viewers and listeners of the album to make up their own story about what takes place in this dreadfull scene. Is it a murder? A sacrifice? Who can tell.
There are however some minor clues in the details of the painting, if you study it closely you may be enlightened to the unholiness that takes place here.
I think the artwork on this album fits perfectly with both the music and lyrics of Nho. In my mind it really captures the essence of what Nho stands for. Everything from the dead of winter mountain scene, the cold, dark and desolate wilderness of Norway, old religious symbolism and folklore, blood and death. The painting is not directly linked to the lyrics on «Kunsten aa gjoere jorden ubeboelig» but there are some connections to be made here and there.
7. You are releasing a collaboration with the Italian record label Dukstone for the release of the album. At what point did you decide to collaborate to release “Kunsten aa gjoere jorden ubeboelig”? What does it mean for you to have a vinyl edition to be able to present your music?
Yes this album was released through Dusktone. I really wanted to release this album through a well established and professional label like Dusktone. Simply for the reason that it makes my life as an artist that much easier. I no longer want the headaches that comes with releasing albums independently. Everything from promotion to the printing of physical copies, distribution and sales, packaging and posting, and the list goes on. Its just too time consuming for me. Not to mention expensive. What i want is to make music, write lyrics and record it. Then leave all the boring stuff in the hands of a trusted label. Even if i have to licence away the rights of the album to a label for a certain amount of years, it’s still worth it in my book. And lets face it, nobody is getting rich out of this.
The vinyl format itself has allways been a desired object for me, especially when it’s my own product on it. The sound it makes, the artwork in your hands, the whole package of the vinyl is something magical almost. A completely different experience than listening to music on Spotify for example.
I also wanted my previous albums to be released on vinyl, but it was not an option back then. It would have been way too expensive to have it printed independently. Also the labels we have worked with before didnt offer vinyl so it wasnt a possibility then. Now im happy that the last album have been released on vinyl, in two different colors even, transparent blood red and regular black. So finally it happened.
8. You come from the coastal city of Stavanger, what can you tell us about the extreme metal scene in your area? Which black metal bands from Stavanger would you recommend?
In Stavanger there have been a few great bands in the black metal genre up through the years. For example, Neetzach, Forlorn, Imperium and The Konsortium. But the most notable by far is offcourse Gehenna. They made a powerfull name for themselves in the beginning of the early and mid ninetees norwegian scene, back when there was a certain element of danger to black metal, and it was something to be feared. As far as i know they are still active, but sadly not as interesting and groundbreaking as they once were. I think there has been too much line-up changes in that band throughout the years, so a lot of their magic has been lost.
Right now there is not really many black metal bands worth mentioning from the Stavanger area. At least not that i know of. Well, one good band comes to mind, that is a band called Todesking. They are great live and they released a pretty good self titled album a couple of years ago.
9. Have you ever considered the possibility of playing with Noen Hater Oss? What would have to happen for this to become a reality? Which bands would you like to share the stage with?
Actually before me and Morloc parted ways there were real plans of playing some concerts. We even recruited two session members joining us for rehearsels, the drummer from the band Ljå and a guitarist from a band called Iron Fister.
We managed to rehearse the songs «Om natt og tåke» from the first album, and «Noen spiser oss» from «Siste stopp skjærsilden» before it all went to hell. We were on good way to building up a pretty decent live set. Unfortunately ego’s were boasted, true colors were shown, and that was the end of that chapter.
I doubt that there will be any plans for live shows in the foreseeable future, but i wont rule it out completely. It would take a long time to find decent session members and logistically it would be very hard and very time consuming. Offcourse, there is allways a snowballs chance in hell, but one should not hold ones breath.
If i had to chose a band to share the stage with it would have to be Djevel. I have great admiration and respect for that band and their brilliant music. I really think it would have been a good match too. Offcourse, Noen hater oss would open for Djevel in that case, that goes without saying.
10. You have been part of some other black metal bands, how does Noen Hater Oss fit into your career as a musician? Do you feel that Noen Hater Oss is your priority right now with respect to your other projects?
I have been involved in a few bands yes, but not many worth mentioning to be honest. One exception being the first black metal band i was involved in called Sjelferd. We had some great songs. We were young and had the right mindset and attitude for the black metal scene of the mid 90’s. Sadly shit happened, the enthusiasm of some of the members dropped and we split up before we managed to grow into our full potential.
I wouldnt really say that i have a career as a musician, and i don have any desire to have one either. That lifestyle does not appeal to me very much. Unfortunately i have to work a normal job to pay the bills as most boring human beings do.
Being a musician for me is simply a way to express my inner passion and creativity. There is something inside of me, a part of my inner being, a dark art yearning to be expressed. And i have to occasionally let it out in the form of music. So making music and releasing it is the best outlet for me to do so. Luckily for me there is some people in this world who wants to listen to what i have to offer, and even pay money for it. Still, i have no ambition of making a living from it.
Yes, Noen hater oss will allways be my nr.1 musical priority. The only other project i have at the moment is a national romantic, acoustic guitar and synth based project called Sort Jord. However this project has been put on hold lately because of the new Noen hater oss album, but hopefully one day soon i will release an album under the Sort Jord banner too.
11. How did you start out in music: first concerts you attended, first albums you bought? What event in your life pushed you to want to be a musician?
I have allways had an interest and fascination for music, especially for the darker and the more extreme variation. Ever since my early teens. I remember well when i first heard the first Burzum album at a friends house, i must have been around 14-15 years old then, and right away i was pretty much sold. The grimness and the absolute raw ugliness of it just captured my soul and refused to let go. There was something so forbidden about the sounds that came out of the speakers, yet so alluring. So after a few years of being strictly a listener of the metal of black, i decided to become a practicioner as well. It was shortly after that me and some likeminded friends formed the band Sjelferd.
The first concert i attended must have been a local rock and roll band called Ingenting at Folken in Stavanger. This was around 1989-90, if my memory serve me right. Further down the road it was the legendary Gehenna concert at Zonen in Stavanger. They played together with a local death metal band called Agony (later known as 122 Stabwounds, now The Deviant). I think this was in 1992-93, and it must have been the first black metal gig i attended.
12. Which album represents the essence of black metal for you? Which last albums have you bought?
If i had to bring out one particular album that in my mind is the very definition of true norwegian black metal, it would have to be Darkthrone’s Transylvanian hunger. That album has it all, and just the right amount of everything. It has a sound that is ice cold and malicious. A genuinely ominous atmosphere throughout the whole album. The lyrics are longing, yet misantrophic. Also they have a real depth to them. The artwork is simple and gruesome, yet still hauntingly beautiful in a almost menacing sense.
The last albums i bought was Gehenna’s second and third spell, the re-issues on vinyl. Two classic albums that i cant have too many versions of.
13. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions for Black Metal Spirit, if you want to add something for the followers of Noen Hater Oss this is the place. I hope the questions are of your choice.
You are most welcome. And thank you for your interesting and insightfull questions.
For the followers of Noen hater oss. A million thanks for all your support and dedication up through these black years. Hopefully you are enjoying the last album, «Kunsten aa gjoere jorden ubeboelig». And that you will stick around for the next chapter. Hails and salutations to you all!!
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