THREE FROM LUPUS LOUNGE

DRAUTRAN - THRONE OF THE DEPTHS
Norse in nature, yet not Norse in nature. Make zero sense? Yeah, probably. Drautran defies typical convention of black metal with heavy Norse mythology themes in that it's pretty fast, raw, and wicked when compared to many of their contemporaries. Granted there's plenty of imagery of oceans, trees, and warrior-related things, but the sound, oh my the sound! It starts off mellow, your expectations seem pretty low, then BAM!, it justs unleashes a massive artillery barrage! Nothing relenting here and certainly no such thing on the horizon. My cup runneth over with wickedness, and here I am practically begging for more! (FA)
LUPUS LOUNGE
www.lupuslounge.com, info@prophecy.cd, www.drautran.com, www.myspace.com/drautran

FARSOT - IIII
I gather that's four of the letter "I" in the album title. Don't really get the significance, nor do I care. Farsot is kickass mix of various tempos and crystal-clear production delivering an intense black metal concoction. Each track is followed by a short interlude and it all finishes with one 20 minutes track that I'm sure must have been death in the studio to play, given its epicness.While they may be a bit more mellow in their "extreme" approach to black metal, therein lies the appeal of the solid, stunning piece of art which should always, always be the focus over mean dick-hanging contests of "extreme evil". I would consider Farsot leaps and bound above anything so trivial. (FA)
LUPUS LOUNGE
www.lupuslounge.com, info@prophecy.cd, www.farsot.de, www.myspace.com/farsotband

HELRUNAR - BALD OK ISS
Now seriously, if you've been pursuing this music for any decent length of time, you know that the band name and album title just scream Vikings, and not the Minnesota kind. Helrunar dig their paganism and have all the makings of old Enslaved and Einherjer to boot. We get some acoustics, some spoken word, and a whole lot of blazing ferocity. Where it really shines is in the clean, hymn-like singing that paints the picture of a Norseman calling to Valhalla from atop an icy mountain somewhere where giants once roamed. Good for bands like Helrunar who embrace a past that I'm sure certain establishments would so love to see forgotten. Not as long as artists like Helrunar roam the lands! (FA)
LUPUS LOUNGE
www.lupuslounge.com, info@prophecy.cd, www.helrunar.com, www.myspace.com/helrunarhorde

"CAMPFIRE" ALBUM IN THE WORKS

Norway's KAMPFAR has begun working on their new, yet untitled, album. Charismatic frontman Dolk and his companions entered the Silvertone Studio in Norway to forge another Pagan Metal classic. A release is tentatively scheduled for fall 2008.

KAMPFAR INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW WITH KAMPFAR BY FA

I found Dolk to be a very pleasant individual, with a strong passion for all things metal. It is quite clear that the long hiatus since their last album wasn't exactly on his agenda, and he plans on coming back full force upon the masses!

FA: Why the long delay between albums?

DK: Well this is a question almost every magazines wants to know it seems, heheh... I have a really simple answer here: the thing is, both Thomas and I had a very rough time after the last album and we needed to solve some personal issues in our lives before we could even start to think about creating music again. It took us almost 3 years before getting back together again in a professional way. We also had to get a whole new band together also. And this, plus making new songs, took us 2 more years. So all in all it took us 7 years to be back again with a new album, tours, etc. But we`re back for real now and that's what matters to me! It's just a personal victory for me to still be here with Kampfar!

FA: If it isn't too personal, what does the album title mean?

DK: The title is translated "sharp". This is a very strong word for me and can be placed upon a lot of things in life: music, nature, etc. I leave it up to the listener to decide what he or she thinks they are getting out of it. It's a very personal word for me and should be to everyone else also I think!

FA: All nationalism aside, do you feel that the Norwegian scene has been compromised by sell-out bands, as several have been accused of? Has black metal as a whole been commercialized, for better or worse?

DK: Black metal has of course been commercialized if you compare it to the early days in 91-92.That is both a bad and good thing at the same time, I think. But I should say something about all the main bands that have grown very big; if you think about the commercial side of it, I think that all this is for the worse, because there are a lot of feelings and attitudes and views upon life in general that have really lost the content and meaning of it all along the way, and this I don't like at all, to be honest. But I don't think this is just a special thing for the Norwegian scene, I must say. I think this is the same all over. It will always be like this when money and business takes control of it all. But when all this is said and done I must also say that a long time ago I stopped focusing on this, really. Because for me, I'm only totally into what Kampfar is doing. I know what we are dealing with and I know what we want. And there is more than enough for me to concentrate on about now, to be honest!

FA: You're in good hands at Napalm, but why leave Hammerheart, another very reputable label?

DK: We really had a lot of differences, Hammerheart and us. At the end we decided to just split from the contract. I think this was best for each party and we have not regretted that decision since. When it comes to Napalm Records, I must say that things are really working well so far, so lets just hope that this continues in the future also!

FA: Do you have the urge to tour North America?

DK: Heheh, yes, of course. But right now there are just too many things that will have to be in place before that can happen. We really have a lot of offers to play in America already, so that's not the problem. But there are a lot of other things that have to be right before we can do that. Let's hope that it can be a possibility sometime in the future! If it were up to me, I would have been there tomorrow already!

FA: Your sound is very unique. I feel you combine elements from several styles of metal. Who are some of your influences?

DK: Hmmm, if you are talking about bands and music here, there are of course a lot of metal bands I'm inspired by. I'm a metalhead for all that it's worth and I think that I'm getting influenced by a lot of them, whether I like it or not. This is just how everything works, I think. But if I should mention something that really inspires me to do music the way Kampfar is doing it, I must say "the mighty nature" here. Yes I know that this can sound a bit strange and odd, but nevertheless it's the truth. This the main force for Kampfars' music and me. I have lived close to nature all my life and every time I need to focus, this is where I go. So I guess you can say this combined with the metal in my head makes a deadly Kampfar spirit and sound. I really have no other explanation for it all. Nature is and has always been my main source!

FA: Any prayer whatsoever of old Mock material being re-released? Will you ever go back to that project or did it simply evolve into Kampfar?

DK: Funny you should ask about this, because right now the last recording of Mock from '94 is being re-released again on CD through a label called Agonia Records. This material has been sold out completely for the last 10 years, so it's about time to get this out again, in my opinion. Mock and Kampfar have never been the same thing, really. Kampfar was an idea I had even before we started up with Mock. But due to a lack of time during the Mock period, Kampfar didn't take place before the split-up of Mock in 94. I'm still in contact with both members of Mock, but right now I don't see a future for that band. But who knows what can happen?

FA: How deep are you into Asatru? Do jackasses associating it with Nazism irritate you?

DK: There are two things especially that have been my special interests since I was I little shitty child. One of them is nature because this is what I was raised on. The other thing was the ancient Nordic myths. This has always been a huge interest and source for me. But if you want to know if I'm really living my life through Asatru like some organizations seem to do, my answer is "hell, no"! I'm very deep into this material and it really is something special compared to other religions. It's strong and powerful and more anti-human in one way. But when peoples use Asatru to get back at other races and set links to Nazism, it really pisses me off! This is as bullshit as it gets! And they are definitely not really into this, that's for sure! Fuck them! I'm just too strong to be part of such a weak political movement. I'm my own god, and will always be!

FA: How is life in Norway now after all the black metal drama of the 90s?

DK: Well life now is pretty normal compared to the early days in the 90s. You can still feel a big lack of intelligence and tenseness around some people here still when they hear the words "black metal". And the Christian societies are of course still very much anti-black metal and try their best to stop everyone involved in black metal But hey, compared to all that shit I had to go through back in the early 90s, this is just funny bullshit really. So no problems around black metal here today, I must say, even if some kids may say differently!

FA: Do you support Americas' Mideast "policy", so to speak?

DK: No I do not! Blood and revenge are something! This is something completely different in my eyes!

FA: Leather or denim?

DK: For me, denim! For my women, leather! Heheh, simple as that, really!

FA: Parting thoughts?

DK: It's fucking great to be back again, after almost 7 years in the shadows! But I can tell you for sure that it will not take 7 more years before you hear from us again! We are back on tour and in the metal scene for real again. I live and breathe for this! This is life! Black metal is life itself! And who knows, maybe a tour is possible in America soon? I hope for the best!

Thanx for thy interview!

kampfar@kampfar.com, www.kampfar.com, info@napalmrecords.com, www.napalmrecords.com, www.myspace.com/norsepagans