Monday, June 14, 2010

A Transylvanian Funeral Interview # 2

1. Can you update us with what is going on with A Transylvanian Funeral these days?
Hails brother...! A Transylvanian Funeral is doing well...there have been a couple of split releases, one with Black Torment with four songs from thew upcoming full length and another split with Funeral Winterdust that has 4 exclusive songs to that release...it only has 50 copies so getting one will be only for the real die-hards and bootleggers. I recently moved to Tucson, AZ and launched my zine, Forbidden Magazine. So far the zine is doing well...we are active online and in print...the first zine was an e-zine and is available at our website... www.forbidden-magazine.com we try to make the coverage and band info as widespread as possible...I have been fucking busy, would be a shorter way of putting it!!!

2. In that last year since the first full length you have put out a split album and then the new full length can you tell us a little bit about the new full length?
Well, the full length is titled the Outsider and it has 12 songs...it is just over 66 minutes long and has some of the best songs I think I have ever written on it...It is a departure from my previous album, the S/T Debut, but still retains a ATF feel to it...like the feeling of having your soul spread over too much cold night air...

3. Tell us about the new album?
My previous collaborator, Sojourner, is not present on this release...nor, do I imagine, he will be on any future releases. I am completely responsible for all writing, performance, recording and production...much like the first album, I also designed the fucking cover art and everything, save for the towers that you will see on various editions which were drawn by my good friend Nate of the Fucking Living Dead / Brainvault Illustration...there will be a Pro CD and Pro Tape Release...the CD will be packaged in a DVD case,like the debut and will have two different covers...the Tape will have it's own cover and include random colored tapes...all hand numbered, all dark, dripping with death and existential madness's...

4. How would you describe the sound and lyrical content of the new album?
The sound is somewhat more produced than the debut, although it really took less time to engineer than the first album...I worked with a different drum program to create the music, so that will be the most immediate difference...I experimented with the depth of the sound more, as I felt the debut album was very dry sounding and wanted a bigger atmosphere with 'the Outsider', which I think I accomplished well...the songs are also some of the longest I have written, which was a method I wanted to utilize to create a greater sense of atmosphere and mood...the lyrics of each song are tied together, sometimes obviously and at other times more indirectly...there is a 'concept' running through the album although it was not my original intent...

5. What are some of the inspirations for the new album?
the inspiration for the album happened closer to the end, when I began to see all the similarities between the songs lyrical content...the last song written was the title track, 'the Outsider', and is a variation of the H.P.Lovecraft classic of the same name...the story was the first of his I read that had a profound effect on me...it may have been the first story I read of his, period...either way, the story is such a strong basis for horror that the similarity was unavoidable...I wanted to write a song titled 'the outsider' for sometime, as I usually start songs with a title in mind, for whatever reason...it is the initial impression that a fan can have of your music and 'the outsider' has a certain ring to it, i suppose...the songs are unified with a story of death and rebirth, tormenting eternal life and the strange 'premonitions' one sometimes receives that offers a glimpse at their past lives, astral double or dual existence...'the Outsider' is the final track on the album as well...

6. What is it that you hope to achieve with the newer material?
I definitely have no interest in re-creating the same album over and over...I have said that since before the first album was ever finished recording...I wanted a clearer sound, a bigger sound, a more 'intelligent' album than I had previously released...having said that, don't expect my next release to bear any likeness to 'the Outsider'...growing as a songwriter and as an artist is far more important to me than catering to elitist fans who are 'trve kvlt' etc...there are so many aspects of extreme metal that I enjoy, my goal is to pursue each in their own regard, paying my respects to the art the best I can...to not grow as an artist, i think, is a disservice to one's self...

7. What direction do you see the music heading into on the next release?
oh, i don't know...there is a lot of shit i am really into....right now, I am listening to the new Pest, really digging it...been listening to Deiphago and Prosanctus Inferi alot...I wouldn't mind doing something in the whole 'bestial' genre...would like to do some noise/drone work as well....whatever it may be, it will be dark as fuck...i think that the noise/drone stuff and bestial destruction metal is sometimes just as dark as the more traditional black metal, just because it is more difficult to comprehend...it really takes a trained ear to listen to some forms of music...at some point, it is no longer music...it is music concrete...that is one aspect I would like to take...another part of me also wants to find a drummer and bassist and write, record and perform as a live band...having since relocated, that is more of a possibility...if I find allies for live rituals, i would love to re-release the debut and the outsider as a live or full band release...the sound would be fucking killer, to say the least...

8. How has the feedback been so far to the newer material?
I have only made a few songs available for listen, namely 'Premonitions' and 'Worship a Dead Fucking Goat'...so far the fans have been happy to support the songs and I haven't heard anything negative...I am really happy with the songs as well...like I said, I think they are some of my best and they were not influenced by Sojourned either, which was not really a bad thing, but these are solely my vision...

9. Recently you started Forbidden Magazine, can you tell us a little bit about the zine and if you are planning on moving up to a paper zine?
Forbidden Magazine grew out of my frustration with the zine i previously worked for...I realized I could do everything myself and not have to rely on anyone else and thought I could do a better job that way...the bands who take time to answer fucking 35 question email interviews in the middle of a crazy tour have to be respected and their word has to be recited...i didn't feel the bands, labels, PR, fans or anyone I was working with was getting the coverage they deserved...so i started my own thing...I found out that you always rely on other people...I couldn't do Forbidden Magazine without all the killer contributors I have...everyone really does their best...I stress to everyone the reason we are doing what we do is for the betterment of the artists...not for us to have some position of notoriety or anything...I still want to launch a streaming radio station, but haven't had the time to find someone to help me set it up...!!! Issue Zero is available for download on our website and you are free to print it out, distribute it or put it on your website, torrent p2p or whatever the fuck you want...the only paper copies I made of it went to Hells Headbangers Records, who have a lot my respect from the killer artists they release on multiple formats...Issue One is a monster of an issue and is almost done...it will be printed 1000 copies, with Pro CD compilation in every issue...$6.66! Trades are welcome for ad space too, fuckers! Get in touch!

10. Any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the fucking interview brother! I appreciate the support...I return all fucking email so get in touch!!! www.atransylvanianfuneral.com www.forbidden-magazine.com www.forbidden-records.com

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