Entartung Interview

answered by Vulfolaic
1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

We’re not the kind of band that keeps dwelling on past accomplishments, even if these accomplishments lie in the very recent past. Whenever a new Entartung album is in the works, we regroup and devote all the time, attention and energy we have to the project at hand; writing music and lyrics, recording and mixing, coming up with artwork, …

When the album is finished, we step away from it once again and return to our other, individual occupations.


2.You have a new album coming out during August, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I’d say we, throughout the years, stayed true to the sound we already established on the debut album. The core of Entartung has consistently been based within the framework of old school black metal. Individual tracks have always been a musical journey in their own right within the bigger context of an album, which again represents a journey on another level. Even the interludes featured on our records play a deliberate role within the larger narrative.


3.The lyrics on the new album cover death, the Faustian Spirit, Ancient rituals, traditions and the darkest chapters of human History, can you tell us a little bit more about what these topics mean to you?

As true music should come from the depths of the soul, so should the lyrics. We do not believe in just having lyrics on whatever topic just for the sake of being able to add vocals.

Many people are nowadays greatly detached from the reality of existence; almost solely existing within a virtual realm. The “gritty” lyrical themes on the new album, however, were part of daily life in the past.


4.You have also covered some blasphemous and occult topics on previous releases, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

It would lead us too far to discuss this in great detail, which would be necessary to do the topic justice, but I can summarize somewhat by saying that the core idea of such lyrics is the rejection of Christianity and claiming allegiance to pre-Christian traditions by metaphorically using the symbols and language of the opponent.


5.I know that the bands name means 'Degeneration' in German, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

That also ties in with what I just mentioned; the name is highly ironic.


6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the sigil in the bands logo?

Yes, it’s the sigil of Lucifer, taken from an 18th-century grimoire.


7.The cover shows a necromantic ritual and seems to have a blasphemous message, can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork?

We very much like the feel of old paintings as album cover art, but unfortunately the risk of this preference is that some other band ends up having the exact same cover art. On the past couple of albums we started modifying such paintings, allowing you to retain the atmosphere but resulting in something more original and unique.

This particular painting, “The Witch of Endor”, represents a contradiction; on one hand necromancy and magic supposedly were “impossible” in the world dominated by Yahweh, on the other hand the ritual is in fact mentioned in the Bible and has parallels in Babylonian and other regional pagan traditions; referencing the existence of a netherworld where the dead reside and can be summoned from as opposed to “heaven” or bodies waiting to be resurrected.

It is just another anecdote which shows that that corner of the world also had religious traditions that preceded the monotheisms that came to dominate the world.


8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played in the past?

Well, we only did one show in the Netherlands years ago, so I guess that one qualifies as the best by default.


9.The new album is going to be released on 'Dunkelheit Produktionen' how would you compare working with them to your previous label 'World Terror Committee'?

That’s hard to say at this point in time. So far we’ve been able to communicate really well with Dunkelheit Produktionen, so we are not complaining.


10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

We don’t really go about checking what people think and write about our music and lyrics, to be perfectly honest. Entartung is an expression of our musical and lyrical vision and the result of our need to create. It very much is a one way form of interaction as far as we’re concerned. Once a new album gets released, we more or less detach ourselves from Entartung. 

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Our guitar player Lykormas is the main composer, so it will greatly depend on where inspiration leads him. It’s safe to say we’re not interested in experimenting just for the sake of experimenting, so the core will always be old school black metal.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We have a broader musical taste than people might assume. Old school black metal is an obvious influence the different members in the band share. We do not necessarily share a common interest in other genres, but individually we enjoy other styles of metal, various styles of punk/hardcore/d-beat/crust, classical music, industrial/neo-folk/atmospheric, …

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

No, not really.

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