1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
A little bit of this, a little bit of that. We’ve been doing some promo stuff, like recording a music video for one of the songs on Our Wretched Demise. We’ve booked a few gigs in December/January too, so we’ve been practicing a lot.
2.You have a new album coming out in November, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I think it sounds a lot different. We dare to explore a lot more. It’s more epic, faster and more progressive. I think people will be able to hear that it’s the same band, but the songwriting is better. The production is a lot better too.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
The lyrical theme for our upcoming album is war. The songs deal with different aspects of war. The human side of war, irresponsible world leaders, propaganda, loss and anger. It’s hard to say what our progress has been, other than that we think we write better and better songs, as time passes. There’s a bit more co-operation on this album compared to our previous work, which makes the music more interesting.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Keiser'?
We wanted a short name that represents power, so we went for Keiser, which is the Norwegian name for emperor. We realised sometime after the release of our first EP that Keiser means Emperor, but decided to keep the name since we sound quite different from Emperor.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The cover artwork is painted by Czech painter Vojtech “Moonroot” Doubek. The cover depicts a battlefield beneath a castle under a blood red moon.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We are lucky enough that we’ve played a few amazing shows. Of course, with every gig played we become a better live band. When we performed at Levanger Metalfest in 2018 the audience were nearly tearing down the barrier between them and the band. It was a local one-day festival arranged by our drummer Geir. The last show we played was pretty great too. We played with Messier 16 (Oslo) and Tragediens Trone (Trondheim) at Good Omens in late 2019. The club was packed, and the reception from the audience is something I’ll never forget. We opened for Order too, in early 2018. It was so cool to meet Manheim and Messiah from the early days of Mayhem. Nice guys, and absolute legends.
As a live band I would say we are quite energetic. We are not at all afraid to rock out and have a good time even though the music is dark and brutal. Our songs sound different live too. Some parts are slightly changed to work better live, and songs can be faster or slower than their studio versions, depending on what suits the songs.
7.The new album is coming out on 'Non Serviam Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
We got in contact with them after recording Our Wretched Demise. It was through Nexorum, who we share a practice space with, that we learned their name. We sent out mails with a link to the whole album and got a reply from Non Serviam Records. We quickly found that we could easily work together.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Worldwide reception has been sparse up to recently. After we signed with NSR and released our latest single, Scourge of the Wicked, we have noticed more interest from outside of Norway. It means so much to us when we receive messages from fans.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to keep writing good riffs! Other than that we want to evolve, but we are not sure where and how. We don’t want to release the same record twice. Musical evolution is important to us, but we don’t have a clear path to follow. That is how we want it.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
The four members of the band listen to a lot of different music, like death metal, synthwave, 80’s shred, progressive rock and so on. The latest Enslaved album “Utgard” has been on regular rotation since it was released a week ago.
11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
It’s not something we’re particularily interested in, to be quite honest. Our earlier lyrics were inspired by occultism, but we have found other themes that inspire us more personally. Nothing against occultism in music though!
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Yeah, we want to say thank you to Non Serviam Records, NeeCee Agency and Seasons of Mist for all the help, patience and guidence. Also we want to thank everyone that has taken interest in what we do. Hopefully the next single and the album will enrichen the lives of many people. And we can’t wait to see our fans at gigs again!
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