H, It’s a pleasure to be here to talk about Numen. Once we finished the recording, we have been busy working on a videoclip and art/design ideas for the next album. Also composing and maturing some ideas for the future, and some of us have been very busy with our side-projects, recordings, tours, etc.
2.In September, you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
We are excited to hear from the people about the differences. So much time has passed and musical and composition differences will be there, but I think we still maintain that base of fast paced black metal that characterizes us, carrying on with the legacy of our previous works.
This album has more variety, with more structured songs. We've also added an instrumental folk song, in the same vibe as our first EP. But those who know us, is not going to discover a big jump or evolution in our musical concept.
3.This is also your first album since 2007, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Obviously in 12 years so many things have happened.
If we go over what we have done in all this years, we had some formation changes, some few live gigs, and the re-release of our last work and little more. As you can see, it seems that Numen hasn't been the main thing of our lives. We've been so much years without drummer and a complete line-up, so we have dedicated bigger efforts to other musical projects with which we have been quite active.
Though, we've been working in the shadows waiting for the moment to complete the line-up with a drummer that would enable us to play our work live. And once we completed the line-up we resumed our activity in a constant way to record, and this time, when the album releases, we will be able to play it live without having to wait 4 years like with our last album.
Numen isn't a studio band. Neither a band that's always touring, but we have the necessity of rehearse together and show our works live.
4.A lot of your lyrics deal with basque culture and legends, do you also have an interest in the pagan religion of that era?
Of course! But instead of religion, we think that, talking about the way of thinking or beliefs of those times is more appropriate. That is, the way the people understood the world and life, before christianity came in and was imposed upon everyone. The beings from that time developed by understanding and interpreting nature. That is, the way of thinking based on life, death, respect for the unknown and admiration for mother earth.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Numen'?
The word Numen encompasses pagan beings or gods. Those mythological beings who are outside christianity.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Our aim was to design a cover expressing the depths and beauty of our land, also the violence and hatred our music transmits. On this occasion, unlike in other albums, we have wanted to convey this on an illustration instead of on a picture. The illustration represents a rough landscape that leads to the foothills of one of the most emblematic mountains of Euskal Herria, Anboto. Where the Goddess Mari is resting and waiting…
We have had the pleasure to work with Aghy Purakusuma, he committed to the project and depicted the scenery we wanted.
7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Tricky question, for sure....
I pleasantly remember our show at Barroselas metal fest in 2004. That day things went rolling smoothly, from our sound to peoples response.
One of our first shows, back in 98 at the Jam club in Bergara, with Centinex and Anasarca.
Other good gigs where at the mythic Anoeta club in Vigo. I don't remember the years exactly, but I recall the intensity, the will, the public and the rest of the bands.
Those shows were in a great time for Numen.
From the recent ones (time has passed though), after those years of inactivity, "Cernunnos Pagan Fest" in Paris, the gig in Durango, Madrid and also the "Move your fucking Brain" in Molins de Rei felt great. In those shows public Support was brutal! I also have fond memories from our gig at the "Iberian Warriors Metal Fest" in Zaragoza.
8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We have confirmed dates in Euskadi with Primordial, Noctem and Orphans of Piety in San Sebastian, Zaragoza (Spain) with Imperium Dekadenz, Salamanca (Spain) with Deranged, Teething, Barbarian Prophecies, Mixomatoxis,… , Catalunya with Golgotha, Atrexial,…and France (Nantes and Paris) with bands like Seth, Belenos, Mur, Penitence Onirique, Moonreich...
Looking forward to next year, some dates are being planed but still are not confirmed.
9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and pagan metal?
We aren't a band with a big following outside our borders. For various reasons Numen's activity has been intermittent and therefore we have not gathered such following.
We have had a good reception around here and we have followers in the nearby countries, specially in France.
We hope that with LADLO's good work spreading our new album, we will reach even more people.
10.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?
In Eihar and Jabo's case, we are busy with our other band, Cerebral Effusion. We recently arrived from a little tour in USA and some European festivals. Now we are recording our 5th album, we hope to finish before 2019 finishes.
Eol continues working in Elffor, preparing his next album. I've lost count, it's been a long time since he did his tenth album. Instead of preparing, he is waiting for me to record guitars and Lander to record bass.I am been the chokepoint here... Since I became father, I have less time...
Xabi continues with Storbais (legendary trashcore band in our land) and Issuna (crust grind band), also his new black metal project soon to be witnessed.
And finally Aritz, to my knowledge, he left all other musical projects to focus on other things. Darkness by Oath disbanded around 5 years ago and projects like disflesh are frozen or dead. Now is 100% focused on Numen.
11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
The truth is that we don't think much about that, we always let go in that aspect. The idea is to show this album as much as possible and without delay work in something new, maybe an EP... Anyway, Numen is formed by very eclectic people, so it is difficult to foresee what will be in for us in a few years.
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?
Numen has always been a band influenced by 90s black metal, specially Norwegian and Swedish scene (Satyricon, Immortal, Enslaved, Aeternus,…). We also love our land's traditional folk. Most of us have been listening to metal for more than 25 years, since we were teens. We started listening to heavy, punk, trash metal…and little by little we entered in the world of extreme music. Black metal, death metal, brutal death, grind, doom, ambient… we've listened from the majority of styles. Outside metal... We listen also jazz, folk, some electronic... we are 6 people in Numen and obviously each of us have our preferences, but there's always bands that are everyone's favourites.
I have a stack of CDs and LPs to listen to, but I recently listened to the new releases of: Disentomb, Mgla, Deathspell omega, Tenebrae in Perpetum, Blut aus Nord, Devourment and some others that I don't remember now. Now is too easy to have access to music, but at the same time is also easy to forget something between that many options.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks so much for your interest in our work, and also thanks for supporting the scene!
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