Fenris Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording  and release of the new album?
First of all we did a release show in The Baroeg (NL), one of the leading underground stages in the Netherlands. During  this show we played the new album in it’s entirety. We did a mini tour with Misanthropia (NL) and Nattas (SE) to promote the new album. Furthermore we are busy booking new gigs since we want to promote the new album as much as possible. This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary with a special show on may the 13th, during this show we will play songs w hich we haven’t played in a long time.

2.In September 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?
...en doodenakkers tot den horizon is a mixture of black, viking and death metal. With every record coming out you hear the band grow in maturity musically. What is different from earlier recordings is that we omitted keyboards, we wanted a more direct live feeling on this record. Also the album is  a bit less technical and leaning more towards death metal if you compare it to the older albums. The end result is a more tight and aggressive sound, much to our liking.

3.This is the first album to be released since 2005, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
We had a few challenges in the line-up. In 2005 one of the co-founders and songwriters Vasco Lub left the band. He was the bass player and wrote most of the lyrics. Besides that he wrote most of the music together with Bas Westdorp. In the years that followed Fenris was busy creating a robust  lineup. We tried a lot of bass guitarists and failed, until 2010 when Chris joined the band. Then the process of writing songs went a lot faster. To give you an idea, in 2010 there was just one new song. Also in 2013 Joris Klaassen joined the band on guitars, he really completes the sound of Fenris and helps giving the live performance a boost. So most of the writing was in the past couple of years, also a day job doesn’t really help with the speed of releasing a new record.

4.With the name 'Fenris' and the song lyrics your music is rooted in Norse Paganism and
 Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
The basis in the name Fe
nris comes from the mythological creature Fenrir, who is the son of Loki and Angrboda. For us Fenris is also a link to the Norse band Enslaved, they have a song called Fenris. Furthermore the subject also has links to our own history. On “..en doodenakkers tot den horizon” you can see this in the songs 834 and Ruined which describe the attack from the vikings  on Dorestad in the year 834. With the song Fenris we tell the
story of Fenris trying to convince Tyr to release him so he can unleash Ragnarok.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how  would you describe your stage performance?
Shows we like to remember are the ones we played supporting great bands like Enslaved, Rotting Christ, Tyr, Einherjer and Sear Bliss. Also shows in our hometown are always a success and we played a successful shows in Berlin.

6.Do you have any  touring or show plans for the future?
We haven’t planned any  tours at the moment, it is a real challenge combining a day job and a tour. If there is a good opportunity we would take it of course. Currently busy planning separate shows mainly in  the Netherlands. We hope to play at least 20 shows this year, and we look hope to do some shows in Germany and Belgium.

7.Currently you are  unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We have a distribution deal with Snakebite records for the Benelux. They also dealt with the digital availability of the album worldwide. We have written to a number of small record labels but chances are slim in the musical genre. For the moment we are happy with the distribution we currently have. Anything can happen in the future.

8. On a worldwide le vel how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black, viking and death metal?
We have had a number of great reviews from blogs and websites mainly in Europe, it takes time for people because there number of releases is enormous. So we are hoping more people pick up the album  in the coming months. This is why we try to play as much shows as possible, given the possibilities we have of course To give you a few examples of reviews:
http://aminoapps.com/page/black-metal/8200812/review-fenris-en-doodenakkers-tot-den-horizon
http://nekronospromotion.blogspot.nl/2016/08/fenris-en-doodenakkers-tot-den-horizon.html
http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/nl/reviews/view/id/32965

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Our drummer is a former member of The Darkest Red, also he is a session drummer for the band Cthuluminati. Our bass player is a former member of Brandhaard and Infestis. Joris also plays in Beyond our Ruins. Gilbert also did vocals for Infestis,
https://www.facebook.com/Thedarkestred/
https://www.facebook.com/Cthuluminati/
https://www.facebook.com/BeyondOurRuins/

10.Where do you se
e the band heading into musically during the future?
If you look at the current re
cord which is mainly a mixture of black and death metal and less
viking than the previous a
lbums, this is the direction we will be heading with a big wink to
viking. The sound in the f
uture will probably be more of “...en doodenakkers tot den horizon”,
powerful riffs, epic guitar
solos, lots of screams in a mixture of black and death metal.
Currently we are busy clea
ning jam material and making new riffs besides keeping the set at
a proper live level.
https://www.facebook.com
/Cthuluminati/
https://www.facebook.com
/BeyondOurRuins/

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
If you look at the current record which is mainly a mixture of black and death metal and less viking than the previous albums, this is the direction we will be heading with a big wink to viking. The sound in the future will probably be more of “...en doodenakkers tot den horizon”,powerful riffs, epic guitar solos, lots of screams in a mixture of black and death metal. Currently we are busy cleaning jam material and making new riffs besides keeping the set at a proper live level.

11.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?
When we grew up our musical taste was formed by bands like obituary, Morbid Angel, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Enslaved, Mayhem, Slayer and Suffocation. In the past few years the influence would be coming mostly from the following bands: Enslaved, Dark Funeral, Nile, Obituary, Nader Sadek, Shining (SE),Origin, Vektor, Mayhem, Behemoth, Cattle Decapitation, Marduk, Dissection, Deicide and Dying Fetus

12.What are some of your non musical interests? We like action movies in the eighties genre but also horror, and off course a good beer and a piece of meat!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We really appreciate you giving us the room to let the world know about our new album “...en doodenakkers tot den horizon” with a review and taking the time for this interview! Keep up the good work!
Hails!
Fenris

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