-- 1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We're black metal band from Zagreb,Croatia and have been active on a local scene for a while.We've released one demo and EP ( Demonic Horns Rise ).This year we finally self released our first album Ancient Ritual.The unholy trinity of Frozen Forest consist of Mihovil on vocals and guitar,Danijel on bass and Matko on drums.
2.In May you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
The easiest way to describe it would be black metal, but there's much more to it. Maybe black metal with thrash and heavy influences would be more appropriate. It's influenced in the first place, of course, by the so called second wave of black metal and bands like Mayhem and Darkthrone, but also earlier black metal bands like Bathory, early Sodom and Celtic Frost. There is also strong influence of Dissection's style melodic black/death metal. We're all fans of older bands like Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate, Iron Maiden so you can probably hear all those influences creeping in totally beyond our control. It differs from the previous releases as much as demo differs from Demonic Horns Rise EP. All those releases have been done with different line ups, Mihovil being the only one from the beginning. This line up has been together for almost six years and we played lots of gigs in Croatia and jammed together so we developed some musical chemistry between ourselves and dared to explore even more the fact that we are basically a power trio of only guitar, bass and drum.
3.This is your first release in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Seven years passed by like one,one might say a dog years.Troubled by the search for right line up,money problems,all sorts of obstacles and ills we somehow endured,played gigs and worked on a material that would become Ancient Ritual and for now preserved our mental health ( well ,maybe)
4.Your lyrics do cover some satanic, occult and anti christian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
Satanic themes were covered mostly on our first two releases, while occult (Alchemy on Spider Cures Fever and Isola Dei Morti) are more prevalent on Ancient Ritual along with critique of institutional religion of Christianity which is very influential in Croatian politics and daily life. But more so these days we reveal in the magic, in the enchantment of our own world, adorning it with some phantasmagorical properties, sometimes beyond what common and ordinary senses could distinguish. Through it we sometimes draw attention towards some other topics and some social and political diatribes. We weave stories of man longing and yearning to get his life in contact with earth, sun, clouds, thunder, cosmos, full of hidden substances. Lyrically we try to disconnect ourselves from constraints of reality, conventions and customs... To loosen the language and meanings while broadening the interpretations, a lurking hole of childhood dream. Some songs (Endless Cloud) are the beginning of the bigger cycle loosely knit together, that is meant to appear on future albums, maybe just few song on each album.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Frozen Forest'?
Well,forest in myths and fables is arcane,dark and enigmatic place and is usually inhabited by cryptic,strange and magical living things.The backwoods holds all kinds of perils,evils spirits and demons.Of course it is also the home of the outlaws,of banished and condemned,which by their nature a true (black ) metal artist always are.Forest also stands for domains that are yet to be uncovered and brought out to light.But one has to bear in mind that it is also a symbol of feminine.On the other hand frozen reminds us of tranquility of reason and emotions,but also of detachment and cruel lack of emotions.
6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The best for us was gig in Osijek (a town in eastern part of Croatia) which was held in place that was once an old fortress. A small and sweaty gig in front of dedicated headbangers under stone and brick arches over which was apparently a small convent of nuns. We were asked not to use any so called offensive imagery such as inverted crosses and pentagrams, but that did not stop the crowd from sometimes going nuts.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We'd certainly love to play more gigs, but the reality is quite different in small country like Croatia, where there's only few big towns with metal scene big enough to generate even small interest in black metal, although because of melodic nature of our music and influences far beyond pure black metal we get support from a broader audience than just black metal purists.
8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Yes, we are currently looking for a label because you can't do very much in the world of music without a label.
We have received some offers but we'll see what's best for us.
9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
The album has just recently seen the day of light, and so far, so good, but in this aspect more is always better... As you mentioned, we are unsigned and are DIY act, so we don't have promotional or financial backgr
ound whatsoever beyond blood and guts that we ourselves invest in our free time.
Blogs and zines like yours are doing a great job in promoting lesser known acts around the world. But we're only getting the best of responses from around the world.
10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Mihovil is also member of local Black Sabbath tribute band called Out Of The Void in which he's playing a guitar along with our musical brothers from Croatian doom metal band Blak Monastery
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Hoping to further evolve and expand the sound and dynamics of power trio we developed on Ancient Ritual, and within the black/thrash metal explore our deepest metal influences.
12.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?
We grew up on classical metal bands and the champions of NWOBHM like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon, Motorhead, early Scorpions, we all worship Black Sabbath and Mercyful Fate, indulge shamelessly in true metal of Manowar. We're fans of Sodom, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Taake, Kreator, Slayer, Watain, Gorgoroth, Ofermod, such as bands that appeared on Nidrosian Black Mass.
Beyond metal we like stuff like Misfits, Throbbing Gristle, Ramones, The Cure, Kraftwerk, Husker Du, Black Flag, Mission Of Burma, Van Der Graf Generator, The Stooges, Fields Of The Nephilim...
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Well we just started working on our second album,and have already some songs finished,although we've just barely started the promotion of Ancient Ritual and that is our main concern these days,because beyond doing shows we enjoy the creative process of writing and jamming new ideas.So keep an eye for future news if you enjoy our music and we hope to see you somewhere down the road.
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