Nocrul Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Khrul: Noctis and me used to play in Hungary's most brutal and raw black metal band, Ater Tenebare, but we split up. Some years after we continued playing music together in a more melodic black metal band, Csejtey; split up as well. After this Noctis "retired" himself, but I stayed busy as always. Some years later I realized, however I'm still doing a lot of music, I miss to do something with him; something like in the old days, but on our way. After a non-gay romantic night, we created our own weapon in the end of 2012, as Nocrul. We entered into an other realm of darkness – the brutal world of Warhammer 40K, where chaos and dark gods rules. Nocrul's goal is to create simple and well arranged black metal songs, with dark melodies, smart drum fills, filled with atmospheric parts. Beyond this you can hear multiple influences, not only black metal. As a bonus, every of our releases contains a unique cover song, which is a cover indeed, not simply a copy as most bands do.

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
Khrul: I always do the very best, as my knowledge and financial circumstance let me to do so. My goal is to create a massive, epic and powerful sound, with good balances, with the taste of threatening black metal sound, but avoid being "true" - where the meaning of "true" is a weak, dry, lawnmower-like, non-dynamic, noisy, poor produced sound. I do respect my music, there is a lot of effort in it, so the sound/production must be as good as it is possible.

3. Your lyrics are based upon 'Warhammer 40k', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this role playing game?
Noctis: The brutal, cruel, and hopeless atmosphere of this world catched me back in the days. The neverending battles and wars against the inevitable doom reflects a lot of the real world – it will be doomed, because the upcoming end is fuelld by the human race itself.
Khrul: So it's not just a random fantasy bullshit; we try to arrange the lyrics to have a real message – you can't find anything about lazer fights or spaceship wars. We are using the atmosphere of Warhammer's world rather than just singing about actual stories. Like if you read “Childrend Of Misrule”, you can find it on our second release, it has a dark, depressive, hopeless atmosphere but actually it is the daily life for many people in the real world!
Noctis: So we felt this kind of lyrics would be perfectly fit to the music. We didn't want any typical and predictable (black) metal stuff. The dark, infinitive and mystical space also a bonus we can use in the music.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nocrul'?
Khrul: There is nothing mystical beyond it. We wanted an unique name, and at the end the easiest way was the best: creating something from our own names.

5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
Khrul:  As we live in two different countries, 2000 km far from each other, even if we would become a full line up band, it would be impossible to do it effectively. We are happy being a studio band. And on the other side it would be a shame not doing an epic show and not playing in professional costumes, as we have this Warhammer concept - and this is all about the money; a lot of money.

6. On the album you had also done a 'Summoning' cover, what was the decision behind doing one of your own version of their songs?
Khrul:  99% of the bands are doing a simple "playthrough" version instead of a real cover. This is pathetic; if you have no unique ideas, or you are not talented enough, just don't do it. Cover means, at least to me, building a new song from it's original parts, what represents your own style, but still let the original ones recognizable. And never cover a song what is already perfect on its own! Therefore the best choice to pick up one from the early carrier of a band - you can find there god songs, but with boring riffs as well, and bad structure. Doing a Summoning song was just an other random choice - the song itself is a mixture of the songs "Grey Heavens" and "Beyond Bloodred Horizons" from the album "Lugburz", using the albums titles as lyric.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
Khrul:  Worldwide means for us Facebook and Youtube. Feedbacks on this sites was really good indeed, and since Neverheard Distro released "Khorne" on tapes, we had two reviews, were also great.

8. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?
Khrul:  I was and I am extremely busy on music - the number of bands, session works, own projects I did or do is over 25. At the moment I'm the vocalist in the London-based Skullthrone - this is a full line up band and we do gigs as well. Besides this I'm still doing my own projects: Avar, Assur, Funebre, Militia, Nocrul, Shadowthrone.
Noctis:  I'm part of Nocrul only, and I don't have any plan to play in any other band. If Khrul would ask me to help him in his other projects, I would gladly do that.

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Khrul: The first release was focusing on the one guitar based songs. The second was about the twin guitar melodies. The third, which is the current one, is mixing the first two, adding more atmospheric elements. All these releases was written in different tunes. The upcoming fourth one, which is nearly done already, are going to continue Khorne's way, but focusing on being more dynamic, has more groove. After this I may will be get bored creating multiple melodies, and will do some one guitar based thing again. And I did a quite complex song, with lot of orchestra and effects, but it was too weird for Noctis; at least for now. So who knows, maybe later on Nocrul will do something like this as well.
Noctis: We are friends for a long time, we know each other very well. I trust Khrul 100% on musical way as well. I used to ask only slightly modifications but he always outperforms my expectations. The complex song he was mentiond before is really good, it was just a huge and sudden change to me; I need a little bit more time to get used to the new things. It is a “must listen it many times” one, but after I discovered its layers, I realised how great it is, so it can be a next step indeed.

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?
Khrul: Most of the influences comes in the teenage area. My biggest ones was Metallica, Samael,  Gorgoroth and Cradle Of Filth. But this bands doesn't make any effects on my music anymore; I'm on my own way now. I mean, I don't want do music like this or that one, I don't want to be similar to anyone. Of course, when you are start playing music, you say "Let's do something like this and that!", but if you are really a musician, and music is not just a tool for pick up girls, you will find your own way. However influences always will be heard, and no one can be really unique in metal nowadays, you must follow your own heart instead of following someone else's success. So for the music itself I don't have any influences this days, but creating an atmosphere and arranging a song I do learn a lot of from classical soundtracks, like Hans Zimmer, and progressive bands. Actually I'm listening a lot of stuff I don't enjoy as a listener, but I can learn a lot of as a musician. And for me, this is the key being a slightly different, but I'm doing it not for a reason, I just realized I'm doing this. But it's important to know how far you can go to keep the music musically.
Noctis: My main influences are the early era of black metal, but it does not make any effects on Nocrul. Even if the music comes from Khrul, I didn't ask for being like any of the classical bands. That kind of music is already written by them, why would we do it again? In this days I really enjoy listening dark ambient musics, mostly from the label Cold Meat Industry; and Dark Space!

11. What are some of your non musical interests?
Khrul: Books (I even wrote one, but just for friends), mostly fantasy, and mostly Warhammer ones, riding my motorbike, and gym.
Noctis: I'm really interesting about astronomy and I'm a big fan of books: sci-fi, fantasy's, H. P. Lovecraft, Warhammer, and books about ancient cultures, mythologies.

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Khrul: Thank you for your support! Check out some great hungarian bands: Aetherius Obscuritas, Ahriman,  Angerseed, Ater Tenebrae, Gutted, Kill With Hate, Lepra, Mörbid Carnage, Nadir, Nagaarum, Sin Of God, The Konstellation, Svoid, Thy Catafalque, Veér, Witchcraft and many more!
Noctis: Thank you for the interview! No one can hear you scream in the space...

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