1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?
We have been busy rehearsing and writing new material. There are some shows coming up and PESTLEGION is ready to crush some stages in the near future!
2.Recently you have released a new ep, what are some of the things you feel you have done musically on this recording that you where not able to do with your previous releases?
First of all I have to say that without our DEATH CHOIR Management (DCM) and Bleeding Heart Nihilist Prod. (BHN) the EP would not exist. When we first presented the Song "Entsage Gott" to Dietrich of DCM he was flashed and loved it immediately. It was his idea to release a vinyl EP and so he contacted BHN who felt the same way. It is our first release on vinyl and we wanted the EP to sound a little bit more raw than our previous releases without losing power and dynamics. I think we succeeded and that's what is different to our "March to War" EP or the "Dominus Profundum" Album.
3.Your music is very heavily rooted in the 90's, do you feel black metal was at its best during that time frame?
From our personal point of view the answer to your question is "Yes". I mean there are still some bands out there who produce awesome music in the modern vein but our inspiration is definitely (and will always be) the second wave of Black Metal.
4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored over the years with your music?
Our lyrics vary topic-wise. If you read our lyrics you will find themes like Satanism, Occultism, Misanthropy, Demonology, Mythology and of course War. We usually write the lyrics after the song itself and we arrange the topics to whatever mood the song transports.
5.Some of your lyrics also touch on Satanism and Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about what these mean to you?
Our lyrics and the topics involved mean a lot to us. We try to keep traditions alive and the second Wave of Black Metal dealt heavily with the above-mentioned themes. Aside from that we hate and despise all religion of the modern world. Religion has always been full of lies, fear, suppression and is always intended to get rich at the expense of others.
6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Pestlegion'?
Nowadays it's kind of hard to find a name which is not already in use. But we thought of a good name to represent our lyrical themes and PESTLEGION came up. A mixture of a Disease and War.
7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the 7 inch cover?
The artwork is a photograph which shows the grave statue at the grave of Jean Catherineau at the Cimetière de la Chartreuse in Bordeaux, France. It was taken by our friends in Cacophonia Photography. With the Layout done by D. von Junzt it turned out to be pretty old-school. Just the way we like it.
8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
One of the highlights has surely been our visit to Agger in Denmark. It was our first show ever in Denmark at the Heavy Agger Festival. We met some awesome people and had a great time. We shared the stage with bands like Soulburn, Evil Invaders or Abbath's Bömbers. Our stage performance is pretty old-school. You won’t find us doing any fancy stuff on stage but you will always see us wearing spikes and corpse paint just like in the good old days. We let the music do the talking.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
This year we will be doing three more shows: We will play at the mighty Stonehenge Festival in the Netherlands on 28.07.. Then on 22.09. we will head to the South of Germany for the first time to play a show in Mannheim at the Black Cult Doctrine and on 24.11. we will play in our hometown Marl together with Eternal Dirge on their way "Back from the Eons". If anybody wants to book us for shows: feel free to contact DEATH CHOIR Management under sirius@snafu.de.
10.The new ep was released on 'Bleeding Heart Nihilist Productions', how would you compare working with them to your older label 'Bret Hard Records'?
Working with Bleeding Heart Nihilist has been a real pleasure so far. Alex, the guy in charge, is an honest and reliable person who runs everything DIY and does an awesome job in my honest opinion. I can say nothing bad about Bret Hard Records either. Thorsten of BHR is also a cool guy who made our first releases possible.
11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Due to the social media nowadays we reach more people than we did in the past with former bands. It is amazing to get reactions to our dedication for the black arts from all over the world. We really appreciate the support!
12.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?
Tyyn and Caladrius are also playing in a Death Metal Band called Sabiendas and Tenebriz plays in a Folk/Pagan Metal Band called Tiwaz Borealis. Both Bands are planning to release some new material soon.
13.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
At the moment we do not have enough material for a new full length. We focused on the 7” in the last few months. We will use the concert free time to rehearse and write some new tunes. Musically you can be sure that we write some old-school Black Metal tunes again – because that is what we like and want to do.
14.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?
Actually our main influences nowadays are still the same as in the past. Just to mention a few: old Marduk, old Immortal, old Mayhem, Impaled Nazarene, Bathory or Dark Funeral for example really had a huge impact on our music. Of course we still listen to the Black and Death Metal music of today and there are a lot of really good bands out there but the old-school stuff is where we get our inspiration from.
15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for this interview! Keep supporting the underground and let the black flame burn!
.jpg)
