Necrodemon interview by Grim Gaijin

Grim: First of all, on behalf of MaximumMetal.com, thank you for this interview opportunity. I have to start off by asking, how did you come up with the idea of a snow/ice/cold/winter concept album?

Thanks Grim! We appreciate it as well. Maximum Metal has always been cool to Necrodemon.

"To all metalheads out there: drink, fuck, bang your head, and never lose sight of the metal."

As far as our album ideas, Chuck and I had been talking about it ever since we finished "Allegiance to the End". We wanted to show the world that a cold and icy metal album was in our veins. The weather here in Indiana gets pretty fucking cold in the late parts of the year. It influenced us to do this album. We stuck to it and it came out better than we perceived. We are proud as hell of this album.

We wanted to create a cold and evil album!

I think it is unique that all of the song titles make reference to Winter or the coldness. Was it hard coming up with some of those titles - especially with continuing on with the Chant of Making series?

All the lyrics and themes follow a concept of Hyperion which was not a reference to a moon of Saturn. It was an idea of a planet where it is always cold and the beasts and hordes march through the ice! It is hard to stay on one subject like that but we made it work and I personally love the lyrics and titles. It encompasses a realm of eternal snow and night.

The Chant of Making series actually began back in my old band - Lordes Werre. I decided to continue the instrumentals in Necrodemon. They all have a part to do with the dark parts of Excalibur. Ice Fields of Hyperion's version of Chant of Making was reference to Merlin being frozen in time and ice in the caves when the queen betrayed the king and all came to chaos. This is when the evil began.

I am obsessed with the abominable snowman. The winter can be an evil thing. We wanted to capture that.

One thing I really like about the Necrodemon sound is the heavy influence of late 80's thrash and speed metal. Who are some of your biggest influences from that time period?

Slayer, Rigor Mortis, Vio-lence, Kreator, Bathory, Venom, Destruction, Merciless, Dark Angel, King Diamond, Megadeth, Coroner, DRI, SOD, Exodus, Sodom, Pestilence, Morbid, and I can go on and on.

We three are old school metal guys. We love 90's Death and Black, but are mostly influenced by that time period. Thrash and speed metal were our lives. Hell Jeremy pretty much only listens to 80's true metal. We do however like alot of Death and Black metal bands as well. The 90's was a good time period also. Anything that makes you want to fuck women and drink beer is what we want to hear! If I hear a song and it makes me want to burn something or desecrate a grave, it becomes a great song to me.

What about vocal influences? I like the mix of the black metal vokills, death grunts, screams, and the cleaner vocals from the early thrash days.

I am influenced by a lot. King Diamond, Tom Araya, Martin Van Drunen, David Vincent, Paul Baloff, Ross Dolan, Craig Pillard, Atilla on De Mysterious Dom Sathanas, Dead, Mille Petrozza, Peter from Vader, and all kinds of true metal vocalists. I always wanted to be a frontman. I was in Lordes Werre and now have perfected my mix of all styles for Necrodemon. I change the vocals up to keep it interesting.

The only vocal style I cannot stand is power metal. I'll never sing like that. It is too wimpy for Necrodemon! King Diamond is really the only vocalist in that style I enjoy. And King is well, truer than anyone!

I am a closed-minded prick about music. I can appreciate talent in a lot of bands and styles outside of metal, but I only like hard and aggressive music. I only like Horror films. I am an extremist. If a part is super heavy, I will do growling and guttaral vocals. If it demands something black, I do that as well. Hell, I even whisper sometimes and a lot of bands don't do that much anymore.

Although I dig the production of Hyperion, it is not as raw as previous releases. Did that have anything to do with the label change, or was it a conscious decision to go for a cleaner, louder sound?

No label or anyone for that matter will ever change us or tell us shit! We stand on our own musically and do not let outsiders of the band have any say whatsoever. We are evil bastards dedicated to death. Allegiance forever. We meant that shit when we titled our 2nd album!

To answer on the production of Hyperion, actually this one is more raw and natuaral than Allegiance to the End. Hyperion is pretty much the band with no effects or anything except the intros. We purposely did this because Hyperion had to be cold and grim. In the studio for Allegiance we did more production wise. Not a lot but we did let the producer have more say last time. This time we were dedicated to a focused vision. Necrodemon live is what we captured. So actually it is in reverse of the question you asked. But that's what makes us underground metal and we love it!

We are in no way rock stars or fucking posers about this. What you hear and see is us in everyday life.

Now, in my opinion, Empire of Winter is one of the sickest songs in the Necrodemon catalog, what was the writing process like for that song?

Empire of Winter is very thrashy. I like this song alot as well. The story in the lyrics creates a place where the hordes summon pure evil and darkness in an Empire of snow and frozen tundras. The enemy's saviour has been decapitated and the head encased in ice. It is a place of dark cold magic. The blood flows into a pentagram carved in the ice.

We wrote this song in 2005. Basically I went to Chuck and Jeremy with the song and we perfected it. It was a bit different in the beginning stages and we took out two riffs to replace them with better ones. Also the chorus was slightly different but now it has became a great song. It definitely has an evil power to it.

Do you think you will do more conceptual albums in the future? A trilogy perhaps?

I think we are done with concepts for awhile. Who knows. We write what comes natuarally to us. Most of the time I have supplied 95% of the lyrics and 85% of the music but nowadays Jeremy and Chuck have been contributing more and more. Which is great because it will keep us changing and the styles revolving. We always put linear notes in our albums to show who has written what. Necrodemon will never become a band of monotony. It will reamain Ripping Black Death. We view each song as a concept in itself.

With today's technology - especially the Internet - it is much easier (and cheaper) for bands to advertise on their own? How much do you rely on things such as MySpace, to help spread the Necro-gospel vice the traditional way?

The Internet is great and it is bad. We do use myspace although we do not rely on it completely. Sorry Grim but I do not like this question. The Necro-gospel is a voice of darkness and sadism. It is violent. Hopefully it sends itself out and is created by our songs. I know I feel it does.

Are you satisfied with your transition to Open Grave Records? They seem to be hooking up with some good bands these days.

Open Grave has been great. They have helped us get the name out there better than we could have done by ourselves. They make things pretty readily available. As far as the other bands they have, I really like Skitzo, Primitive Graven Image, and Blackmass. Although James and Meghan from OG Records will tell you were are bastards and drunks, they do respect the hell out of us and help out our cause. Ha Ha

What's coming up for Necrodemon in 2008? Extensive international touring, new record, etc...

We are currently working on a lot of new material. It is a lot more aggressive and darker. I know it is cliche to say that but it is true. Our songs and writing just keeps getting better. A new album will come in the not too far future. After we perfect our new material it will be decided upon to as when we record. Expect something very bloody and sadistic.

Touring and shows are what we do best. We want to do more. Hopefully things will change. We have been looking for some booking agents and such. We are a live band. We sound better on stage than we do in the studio. that is why we don't edit and do a lot of effects and production. If you cannot pull it off live, then why do it? Jeremy lives for the stage.

I really appreciate the interview op! Any final thoughts for your fans?

Grim, thanks for the interview. To all metalheads out there, drink, fuck, bang your head, and never lose sight of the metal. Whether you play in a band or are a fan, it does not matter. Stay in the darkness. The rumor of Rob Elliott of Necrodemon is a dickhead is true but I am always cool to our friends and fans. Allegiance to the end is not a joke. Follow it or die! Don't ever betray the metal.

TITLE	DOR	COMPANY	REVIEWER	DATE MADE	RATING
Allegiance To The End	2003		David Loveless	11/12/2004	-
Ice Fields Of Hyperion	2006		David Loveless	1/23/2008	4.5

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