Interview with Endezzma 2008

By Bradley Smith

Can you tell me something about the history of the Formation of Endezzma?  There are quite a few artists from other established acts within its ranks.  What is the main goal you have for Endezzma?

The history it’s kind of two dimensional.  All started in 1993, back then the band was named Dim Nagel.  The band then consisted of me and the Kvist drummer and guitarist.  Some demos were recorded back then together with a 7” who was never released.  I put my record label on ice to focus on bringing the band back and take the concept further under a new moniker…I needed a new line up and asked some close friends but also good musicians to join me.  Endezzma, it’s kind an outlet for our inner morbid oppression…Creating music instead of committing suicide, like creating or building instead of tearing down and destroying…

Your Alone EP has been out for awhile.  What have been the general opinions of it from the metal community?  How do you feel about it now that you have some distance from it?  Are there things you would change or are you extremely satisfied with it?

The response and critics have been giant, better then we ever could expect…

Well, if not extremely satisfied, we are satisfied.  The sound and atmosphere is just how we wanted it to be.

You are getting ready for your new “Morbid Session” album.  How will it be different from the Alone EP?  What can listeners expect from it when they finally get to hear it?  Any special activities planned for its release?

The EP was kind of a prelude to what will come…We are actually in the recording process these days and we are slowly but steady drifting forward.  I think you can expect much the same, it will be in the same vein as the material on the EP…Some cello and acoustic guitar arrangements recorded as well… 

You have signed with Agonia Records.  How did that relationship develop?  Are you satisfied with how they are handling your release?  They have quite a substantial roster of established and upcoming bands.  What do you think of some of your labelmates?

I signed with Agonia for this EP only.. I have not decided however we will sign for further releases with Agonia yet.  We are privileged to have a lot of interested labels to concider..We are mostly satisfied with Agonia’s work on the EP thus far.

What has been happening with Flesh for Beast Records?  Why did you form a record label?  How has that experience shaped your views on the music industry and the scene at large?

Why I started the label back then was major because I had been involved in the scene and it’s music business for over a decade and I knew there was some bands around with  great potential (like Urgehal) looking for a label, and I thought, what the fuck, let’s try.  After some releases I came to the point that I either had to hire some people and grew bigger or put it all on ice…Since I also wanted to focus on my band again, I putted the label on ice and went 100% into the band.  And I have never looked back after that…

The experience I got from working with my label of course counts a great deal when conducting and dealing with other labels today.  And I learned that it’s not easy to live from only playing Black Metal, even if you’re from Norway!  Selling albums don’t come easy, it’s hard determined work that count’s.

I noticed that one of the motivating factors behind Endezzma is Depravity.  How does depravity influence the art of Endezzma and what acts and beliefs do you consider depraved?

The christian moral is all around us everyday.  Issues like life after death and all that shit.  For fuck sake, wake up!  When you’re dead they bury your body under tons with dirt to rot and feed the worms.  You don’t meet old family members and friends for a great everlasting party at a pub on a white cloud accompanied by an angel Choir.  The plain “everyday” is actually weary dark and eerie.  A person usually live, breath and walk the earth for 70-90 years.  That’s the only nick of time in the whole world cycles you will experience light, for the rest of the million years you spend in the pitch-black nothingness.  When looking behind all the fantasy and illusions everyone hide behind you will find nothing but cold darkness.

It seems the philosophical roots of Endezzma are to unite negative forces against life.  What forces exactly are being united and how are they employed against the forces of life?  What do you consider the forces of life to be and why do you work against them?

Just by living we work against the forces of life.  The humans and their behaviour it’s pretty evil in nature.  The hypocrisy we all live in it’s a negative force it’s self.  My lyrics deal with just plane reality, the way things really is behind all peoples masks.  And the truth hurts, it actually scares, thrills and hurts truly.  The truth it’s real morbid and dangerous!

Conveying an atmosphere of morbidity within one’s art can be a difficult task.  How do you inject a feeling of morbidity into your music?  And how do you feel the listener’s react to this feeling of morbidity?

I feel I have managed to channel the point of morbid and the eerie oppressive atmosphere into the music really well.  People tell me they find issues in there that are compelling but at the same time gives you a certain discomfort and tells you something that you deep inside already know but don’t want to be remembered of.

A lot of people within the underground have a strong sense of philosophical beliefs even if they lack any religious foundation.  What are some of the philosophical beliefs that motivate you in relation to artistic creation?  Do you consider yourself a religious person?

No I am not religious.  I can’t base my life on old fantasy books written by mostly insane messed up writers.  Nor can I base my ethic and moral on other idiotic individuals.  I think you’ll find the answer to this by reading my earlier words.

Can you tell some of your future plans for Endezzma?  What are some of the shows you have scheduled for 2008?

We will play some festivals during summer, such as Northern Lights festival in Austria in June and one In Ingolstadt, Germany in May.  We are currently working on a European tour together with Carpathian Forest which I hope we could do this spring.

Any depressive last words?

Life !