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CVLT Nation Interviews:
OBLITERATION

CVLT Nation interviews Sindre from Obliteration

Hi guys. First of all, thanks for finding the time to do this interview, it is very much appreciated! So, would you like to introduce the band?

The band consists of Kristian Valbo on drums, Arild M Torp on guitars, Didrik Telle on bass and me(Sindre Solem) on vocals and live guitars. Christoffer Bråthen from Condor/Mions Hill/Flight is joining us on bass at some selected shows also.. We play some sort of cold death metal, ish.

It has been almost four years since your previous album Nekropsalms. What have you been doing up until the release of the Goat Skull Crown EP and your latest full-length Black Death Horizon?

We all have been involved in other bands and projects, Kristian is the new Aura Noir drummer, so he has been touring a lot with them, Arild and I have done a lot with Nekromantheon, released our “Rise, Vulcan Spectre” and played a lot live, and Didrik has been a part of Altaar. But we did never “shut down” Obliteration, we wrote music, played some live shows and rehearsed for those 4 years, but inspiration and the energy weren’t always on top.. Everything goes in circles, thats why its taken so long, but it has been for the best. The fire burns stronger than ever now.

Photo: Carsten Aniksdal

On the Goat Skull Crown EP you also included two cover tracks, a Von cover, “Devil’s Pig”, and a Necrophagia cover, “Reincarnation”. How did you decide on these two songs? And, by the way, what did you think of the last Von album?

When the idea to do a 7” single for the album came up, we wanted to do a exclusive track, but time did not allow us if we wanted it to be finished for the BEYOND THE GATES festival. So we chose to cover VON, because the atmosphere on the SATANIC BLOOD demo has been important part in shaping our musical visions and ideals. After rehearsing the track, we soon discovered that we had more time for the b-side, so we chose to another cover. Kristian suggested to cover something from Season of the Dead, which was a brilliant idea. We all love that album, but it never crossed my mind to play a Necrophagia track, probably because of the vocals. But it worked out, even though I think the original sounds much better. Its impossible to recreate the obscure sounds of Season of the dead. A unique album with a production unlike anything else.
I have not heard new VON stuff, and I wont. It will only delude my picture of VON, and the magic of SATANIC BLOOD.

How would you compare Black Death Horizon to your previous albums? For me, even though you retain your raw and aggressive sound, you just seem to pay more attention to the structures and the way the music evolves.

I don’t know, it’s a tough question to answer, but I agree with your description. The production and the approach to the recording and mixing was fairly similar to the Nekropsalms album. I think the main difference is that this time around we’ve focused more on the atmosphere of the track, creating music that reflects the lyrics and just sounds plain vicious, instead of thinking to much of our inspiration sources and were we come from. I apologise for saying the same ting in every interview, but it is true. We were selfish and looked to ourselves instead of Autopsy (for example) for inspiration while writing the music for this record.

Both Relapse Records and Indie Recordings released Black Death Horizon, if I am not mistaken. How is it working with two quite big labels? And how would you compare it to the time you were working with smaller labels?

It’s alright. A bit more hectic and unpersonal than when we worked with smaller DIY labels, but I can’t complain, I do not mind. The do great work and they push the album and the band way better than what we are able to do on our own. I’m very pleased to have people on both sides of the globe working full time to spread the message of Obliteration, who would have thought that just a few years back?

Photo: Carsten Aniksdal

You come from Kolboth, Norway, which is also the hometown of Darkthrone. From what I know they helped you out when you first started. Can you tell us how you met each other and in what way they helped you?

This is a long story. But I grew up next to Apollyon’s (Aura Noir, Immortal, lamented souls etc) parents house, and when we recored our ” Demo 2004″ in 2004, I gave it to him and to the guys at Neseblod records. Some of them spread it to Fenriz, and within few days I got a text message from Fenriz saying that he LOVES the demo. It was a pretty sick thing to experience for a 16 year old metalhead. Since then we’ve been in touch. He pushed us on the rest of the older people in the scene, apparently we struck a nerve, or whatever. The response was very good, they meant that the demo represented something that had been missing in Norway for over a decade: raw and uncalculated old school madness. Fenriz played us on the radio etc and he later signed us to his and Nocturno’s TYRANT SYNDICATE label, that was a sub label at Peaceville.

Fenriz actually gave, what was for me, the best description for your sound: “A brand new old organic sounding death metal masterpiece”. Personally, I thought it suits you perfectly since, even though your music is old school, it is still innovative and quite unique. Do you agree with that description?

This description was of our Nekropsalms album actually, but it still apply to BLACK DEATH HORIZON. He understand were we want to go.

I humbly agree with his description. He also gave Black Death Horizon 10/10 and a fantastic review in German Rock Hard this time around also. Much appreciated Fenriz!

How exactly does the creative process work in Obliteration? Is it more of a collective work or an individual effort?

Oh, it changes from rehearsal to rehearsal, from day to day. From start to finish its always a collective effort, but one member can have the riffs and ideas for the song figured out beforehand. There are no rules, sometimes a song can be written within a few hours at the rehearsal-room, other times it can take a year too finish it, sometimes we’ll write the music around the lyrics and other times lyrics are written for the song when it’s finished. Like all aspects of OBLITERATION, it’s an organic process we do not have 100% control over. But Arild makes most of the riffs, he is the Iommi of Obliteration.

Photo: Carsten Aniksdal

Can you give us some insight on the lyrical themes that are found in Black Death Horizon?

For some reason there’s actually a red line that connects all the lyrics, even though its written by different people and with no concept in mind. The lyrics a fuelled of misanthropic ideas and views and they deal with end of the earth, the apocalypse and the death of mankind and all life, but also a spiritual apocalypse.. But it also enters into more occult and esoteric realms, and ancient religion and mythology. But what binds mine, Kristian and Dirge Rep’s lyrics (Dirge did the lyrics for Sepulchral Rites) together is the impending doom, the praise of death and the apocalyptic scenary of the Black Death Horizon.

Can you give us some information on the production stage of your album? Where did you record the album? Did you use an engineer or did you go DIY?

We recorded the album (once again) in our own Studio at Kolbotn, KickArse Studio which is run by Kick from Nekromantheon and Arild from Obliteration/Nekromantheon. It’s a very low-key and DIY process, were we record everything fast and spontaneous, but we use a lot of time to get the amps, drums etc to sound right before the recordings start. We try to use as few takes as possible, to keep the unexpected details and magic that happens before you get used to play/sing the track you are doing. This makes the entire recording more organic and exciting, and it takes on a life of its own. We use as many analogue components as possible, this time we recorded the final mix on a old tape recorder we borrowed from Espen from Altaar, that was very cool. And there is very few possibilities to edit and manipulate the music. What we play is what you get, in it’s non perfect, messy form.

We all take on the job as studio engineer and producer, but Kick from Nekromantheon serves as a “producer” also, one with fresh ears who tell us when our shit stink.

Another great aspect of the new album is the sick cover! It looks as old school as it can get! Which artist did you use and are you happy with the end result?

Thanks! Actually, our drummer Kristian has done the artwork and all the layout him selves this time around. It’s his vision of the music and of the overall feeling of the album. The rest of the band and myself are very happy with the end result, and we are very contempt with the fact that the four of us have done most of the work on the album. Not much more to say, than this album reflects many aspects of us.

I am not going to ask you which are your favorite old school albums. That would be just cruel. But instead, tell me three old school death metal albums you have listened to recently and three new bands you have recently discovered.

I just listened to Death – Scream Bloody Gore for the first time in ages, and it still rules in hell.

Not a death metal album per say, but I listened to Bathory – The Return today, and that album is fucking dark, and it was great to listen to it again. I mainly listen to newer releases from new bands nowadays, so it’s almost like taking a vacation when I listen to the old classics again, haha.

Third would be Morbid Angel – Abomination of Desolation. We just got back from tour with Degial (Swe) and they are heavily influenced by early Morbid Angel, so I’ve had a “return” to their early stuff after I got back thanks to Degial.

I recently discovered Reverie from Denmark, they supported us in Copenhagen and they were sick. A danish version of Masters hammer / Tormentor meets Mayhem- deathcrush with loads of incense. Excited to see how they develop in the future.
A band many have deep relationship with is The Ruins of Beverast, but for me this is a new discovery. Extremly good and erie stuff.

The last band I have to mention is Bölzer from Switzerland. I’ve been into them for 4-5 months time, but their music and live performances are out of this world. Can’t remember last time I was so impressed of.. anything.

Bonus band; Reptilian from Fusa, Norway. Dark and dangerous death metal from a gang of very young people. They just signed a record deal, and their debut can’t be anything other than totally insane.

Do you have any future plans for gigs?

Yes. We are booking stuff as we speak. We just got back from a full European tour, and we are most likely going to the US around south by southwest, stay tuned for details. And we are planing to reach a few festivals this summer in Europe. We’ll see were the road takes us, but we wanna play a lot, and we want to reach weird places we haven’t been before.

OK guys! Thanks again very much for finding the time to do the interview! The album is awesome and I wish you all the best! Hopefully I will see you playing live soon!

Thanks!