Interview with Iscariah of Dead to this World 2008

By Bradley Smith

Your Debut album, First Strike of Spiritual Renewance has been released in Norway and soon the world.  How do you feel about it?  Does listening to it make you excited or are you ready to move on to something else?  How has the world’s reaction been to it so far?
Iscariah: The reactions from the media have been mostly quite good, but some journalists complain about it as I expected by being too repetitive and complains about lack of melodies.  I think that is were it is all misunderstood a bit and I don’t think they understand the musical style.  I am quite convinced now though that the next album will have even worse critics from those journalists.  I want to make music for the selected ones and not for everyone.  If everybody totally loved it, I would feel like I failed in a way.  I wanted to light that ancient feeling again and if they all got into it, I don’t think that I would have succeeded.  I think it demands 20 years of metal nostalgia to get into it, and those are the ones I want the thumbs up from!  So looking at critics from those guys, I have succeeded.  I don’t expect a 20 year old journalist who’s first metal experience was Emperor to understand this feeling.  And yes, I do feel proud of it when listening back on it.  We had limited budget and little time for rehearsing, so taking that into consideration, I am very happy.  I would also like to mention that I think that Kvitrafn did an exceptional job for this. His professional attitude towards this was killer as expected!

Prior to your debut album you had your demo CD, and an Iron Pegasus repress of it on 7” as well as a split 7” with Audiopain.  What was the release that broke things open for you?  What sort of attention did these releases garner for you and how has the fan been reacting to each of them?

Iscariah: I did the demo in 150 copies and sent it around to some labels which I thought would enjoy it, and I think that it was there it ‘broke’.  Either they saw potential or not, and some guy who did see it from day 1 was Costa from Iron Pegasus Records.  The EP’s I don’t think made any difference for this.  However, in the situation of Dark Essence Records, I knew that they enjoyed the demo and stuff, but I didn’t hear anything from them.  They actually thought I had already signed a deal with some other label, so they didn’t even bother to ask.  I stopped by their store in Bergen one day and asked if they would be interested, and we settled the main parts of the contract there and then.

Were you involved with the recent Immortal reunion?  Did you ever feel limited by your participation in Immortal since as I understand it you really didn’t write much music for it?

Iscariah: No, I was not involved in the Immortal reunion.  I admit the thought crossed me to ask them if they want me back, but thinking about it more thoroughly I decided to leave it.  After all I did leave Immortal back then, and I stand by that today.  I am sure that they are doing great without me as they did great before me.

Of course, Immortal is Abbath’s baby and he writes the music there.  I did not get any chance to write any material, but you can’t blame him!  He does it so well, so why change that!  I don’t like bands where everybody writes.  This whole thing about putting everybody’s ego out there ruins bands.  There should always be a brain behind who sets the standards. 

You are a participant in a bunch of well known metal bands such as Wurdulak, Necrophagia, and Amok.  What is the status of these bands and how do you view your role in each one of them?  Do they all pale in comparison to what you are achieving with Dead to this World these days?

Iscariah: I don’t prioritize bands after how famous they are or in terms of “achieving”, so for me it’s about personal satisfaction above anything else.  Of course, the more input the more satisfaction, so seeing it through that perspective; Dead to this World is most important to me.  In the case of Amok, Necrophagia & even Wurdulak, there have always been others who set the standards and filters out what is to be on the albums and what not.  I am ok with that as long as it makes sense in their decisions.  They do make sense and that is still why I am participant in those bands.  Regarding Wurdulak though, I don’t really know if there will be another album.  We have 13 songs written, but I have no idea if they will ever be recorded or if they still want me on that hehe.

With Kvitrafn in the band what do you think of the Gorgoroth conflict going on right now?  It seems that the scene support is split pretty much evenly between the two camps.

Iscariah: I think that the scene is split between those who started to listen to Gorgoroth after Gaahl joined and those who remembers the early days which formed the band for what it was to become.  That is all I will say regarding that.  It is not relevant.  I think people make too big deal out of this.

I read you were going back and forth to the UK.  You said during this period you grew as a musician by studying with some British musicians.  Who were you hanging out with and how were they helping you?  What do you think of the UK in general?

Iscariah: The UK was complete shit.  Haha!  I really don’t like how life is over there.  It’s all grey lives in grey little houses, or maybe I just saw too much of Bradford hehe. Nah....jokes aside; I think it was ok from a trying-something-new perspective.  I needed a break from the scene in Norway.  It bored me a lot.  Looking back on the UK experience it is with mixed feeling though.  A lot of open-minded individuals were working on The Clan Destined (a project started and ran by myself and Martin Walkyier), but the project took certain turns in terms of concept and ways to deal with things which I did not agree with.  I wrote all the music for that album, but I don’t know what happens with that project now, and to be honest I don’t give a shit.

The title of the album is First strike for Spiritual Renewance.  What sort of Spiritual Renewance are you referring to?  And why do you think we need a renewal of spiritualism?

Iscariah: I don’t think “we” need a spiritual renewal.  I think I need a spiritual renewal.  Or needed one I guess is the right way of putting it.  The whole album is mainly surrounding the concept of distancing oneself from others in order to evolve beyond them.  It is written from a very elitist point of view.

I see that you are into a lot of horror movies.  What are some of the best horror movies of all time?  Why do you think there is such an need for people to watch such displays of terror and brutality? 

Iscariah: I think it lies in the primal nature of humans to watch killings.  It is a natural thing of our past, and also it is an outlet in our subconscious to keep us from killing others because of everyday shit life.  We live out the need for murder through the visuals we experience.  At least it gives me a sense of peace after watching brutal movies.  People who say they don’t like horror movies or brutal murders create taboos towards it and are more likely to end up harming others.  The concept of taboos is vast and consequences of it fascinate me a lot.

What is the lyrical topic of 1942?  I see you got Stud Bronson of The Battalion to participate on that song.  Why him and why that particular song? 

Iscariah: Well, the reason Stud ended up on that song is that it has a natural dialogue in it which just had to have someone else do that part.  Stud is an old friend of mine for many years & he is very essential to the evolution of the scene back in the day when there actually was a diehard scene in the Bergen-area.  All respect to him for not giving a shit & for his everlasting metal attitude towards life!  The song itself deals with an event which a relative of mine experienced during WWII which affected me and my family.  It felt like such a natural story for the song.  Also, it is important to glorify the heroes of WWII and to pass down the stories to younger generations.  Nowadays youth takes everything for granted...now THAT makes me sound really old haha.

Incidentally the imagery of the album has a very military theme to it.  What are your views on war and the spread of ideology through it?  It seems that the world is grinding in never ending conflict right now between the religious ideologies of the west and the middle east.

Iscariah: That is one heavy topic to write briefly about!  There are a lot of pros and cons regarding such a vast topic and it is almost impossible to put everything under one look.  All wars are mainly about territory, so it is makes complete sense.  It has been that way since the dawn of time.  It will always be no matter how much they cry about it.  The only difference now compared to the past is that we get it served through our tv screens into our living rooms.  War is not more terrible now than 500 years ago, it is just more brought to the people in details.  However, the religious aspect of it is more in focus now & the hatred towards western society is stronger than ever and I support that, but then again there are other aspects of it which makes it not worth it....as I said, this is a vast topic.  It is however an important part of our evolution.  Many of the “horrible” events and situations in the world are happening for a natural reason.  If there was to be peace all the world and we fed all mouths equally, the world would obliterate faster than you can say McDonalds!

What are your near term Plans for Dead to this World?  Is there going to be any touring involved?

Iscariah: Right now we are getting into rehearsal mood since we have now a complete live band.  It consist of myself on guitar/vocal, Arvid (whom I have played with for 15 years) on guitar, Thurzur (Sigfader, Slavia, Taake) on bass & Kvitrafn on drums.  Live concerts are being announced very shortly.  Apart from that I am working on the LP-version of the album which will be out through Iron Pegasus Records on regular LP and also on pic disc.  Both of these versions will have totally exclusive artwork.  It will be great!  Also, I have taken up work again on further works for the next album.  In regards to touring side of things, we will ONLY tour with bands which we feel certain similarities to.  We are not a band who will tour with whoever wherever in trade for a spark of fame.  That’s for those “other people”.  Hehe.

As the Facilitator what are your Last Words?

Hailz to you for this interview Bradley!  Total respect to you and your infernal pages! Thrash till total death!!!!  666  www.myspace.com/deadtothisworld