Interview with Sebastian of Necrophobic 2006

By Bradley Smith

You guys never fail to deliver a mighty album brimming with Darkness and Evil and Hrimthursum no exception.  Can you give me a little more of the concept behind it and some of the effort that went into it.  What does Hrimthursum mean to you?

Sebastian: We started of working on new material immediately after the release of Bloodhymns. We had a lot of ideas but they just didn’t fit together. We wanted to do an album that had a concept feeling. It wasn’t until the autumn of 2004 when I came up with the title “Hrimthursum” that the songs started to sound the way we wanted. The title that can be translated as “frost giants” has more than one meaning. In the north mythology they where roaming the lands at the dawn of time bringing chaos and destruction. In our lyrics they awake from a long slumber and start to destroy the world again. We like to see the Hrimthursum as ourselves, four powerful personalities bringing destruction and freezing death to the world…he he. It’s also about the underground movement that actually changed the whole metal/rock scene in the late 80’s.

You guys did a video for Blinded by Light, Enlightened by Darkness.  How was that experience?  What was the concept behind the video and what sort of input did you make when dreaming up the imagery we would see?

Sebastian: We shot the video in one day. The bass player of Nifelheim (Tyrant) actually lives in this old castle just outside Stockholm and we decided it would be the perfect place for the video. We had a lot of fun but it was cold as hell and we had to engulf a lot of whiskey to make it through the day. The lyrics and the scenery actually fit perfectly together. The story is about choosing side and that it might be better to die free from Christian hypocrisy than live in the chains of the western church.

Is it hard for a band to maintain a certain level of Consistency and quality while still managing to development a bit with each subsequent release?  How have you guys managed to achieve this over the years?

Sebastian: We never release stuff that we are not one hundred percent satisfied with. We don’t care much about putting records out just because our fans ore labels demand it. I rather do one more good Necrophobic album and earn no money than 10 bad and get rich. We are in the scene because that’s the only way we can live. Metal is not something you choose, it’s a bit of your personality and life and if not then you are not true metal…death to posers..

Necrophobic has had such a long career when compared to many other bands but comparatively speaking you guys have not released a large number of albums.  Do you see that as a matter of quality over quantity or are other factors involved?

Sebastian:  First of all quality but we’ve had our share of bad luck with bad labels and membership problems. In the 90’s things didn’t happen because no one wanted to work with black mark. We had absolutely no tour support and our records couldn’t be found. Later on we had a hard time with finding a second guitar player that could fit with the band. We don’t want to see each other as working companions but more as partners in crime..he he. No but it’s important that the chemistry is good if you try to put a bit of your black heart into the music.

There are basically two styles of death metal in/from the Swedish scene, Stockholm and Gothenburg.  To me the more substantial and vastly more important is the Stockholm sound and the Gothenburg has made death metal more commercial and robbed it of the darkness it originally had.  As an insider it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this matter.

Sebastian: There is no metal scene in Gothenburg anymore at all. That says it all…the only band that deserves respect is Haunted and I don’t want to compare them with death metal bands. They have done something new which is great but it’s not the kind of music we are talking about. Dissection (R.I.P)  was great but the last year they worked in Stockholm so I don’t know if they count as a Gothenburg band anymore. Death metal is should be raw and aggressive and the people in Gothenburg seem to have forgotten that a long time ago.

Since we are on the topic what do you feel will be Sweden’s lasting legacy to metal music? 

Sebastian:  The whole underground movement in the Stockholm death metal scene during the 80´s will always be remembered. Bands like Dismember, Unleashed and Necrophobic are bigger and better than ever. We had a quality in the music that still last.

As a band that promotes darkness and antiXtian beliefs do you feel that Evil imagery is a necessary component of extreme metal?  What are your thoughts towards extreme metal bands of a Xtian nature? 

Sebastian: If you are not angry then why scream? I hate bands that just sound like death metal and don’t write about death metal topics. Mamas boys (not the band) that think the sound is cool but have nothing to be upset about..DIE!!! I play death metal because I have these opinions and a life style that fits it. You don’t have to be antichristian but at least an atheist. I mean if you are happy about everything then what’s the point of making big noise. They are the worst enemies to the scene. It makes no sense, you don’t go off stage to eat cookies and talk about your wonderful life. Christian death metal…hahahahahahahahahah…..ha! Fuck off!!! Fuuuuuuck ooooooooffffffff!!!!!

When a band has been around in the scene a long time such as Necrophobic I would imagine you experience pretty much everything a band might see.  Does touring and recording still hold the magic for you or do you ever feel a little jaded to it all?

Sebastian: Being on tour with Necrophobic is pure (black) magic. We love the live performances and meeting the fans. Being hangover in a dirty bus might not always be that cool but it’s easily solved with a few beers..he he

Tons of bands have been doing demos re-releases.  Are there any plans for you guys to unleash a CD compilation of the Slow Asphyxiation demo, Unholy Prophecies demo, and the Call 7”?  I know I still need the Slow Asphyxiation demo myself.

Sebastian: No. If you didn’t buy it in 89 then you don’t deserve it..just kidding, but I think those demos should not be re-released. Not because they are bad but because some of the magic always disappears with these kind of releases. We will record the song Slow Asphixiation again though.  

A lot of people are mourning the loss of Jon Nodveidt of Dissection and saying that his death has left a hole in the Swedish scene.  Do you agree and what do you think his death means to extreme metal if anything at all?

Sebastian: I respect him. He lived and died by his beliefs so what’s to mourn. The few that knew him well celebrates that he fulfilled his mission and the rest just tries to get some attention making comments in the papers. Live ore dead there would be no more Dissection albums anyway so just leave it…

With the advances of science and the sharing of information globally via the internet do you feel that some of the Magic is gone from the world?  What I mean by this is that things that used to hold mystery for us even 10 years ago have had the glaring light of the information age shined upon them and do you think that it has made the world a little less “magical” for humanity?

Sebastian: Speaking about metal I don’t see much difference. It used to take a couple of days longer to get the information in the underground scene but the network of metalheads was fully working if not better. Seem to me that the “magic” is often added when time passes people die and rumours grow. About the ordinary world internet might confuse things since you cannot trust anything that is written. There is no control. I think the bad thing with technology is that you are never left alone. GIVE ME BACK THE (NOCTURNAL) SILENCE!

What are your beliefs when it comes to a concept of an Afterlife?  Is there one?  Is the typical Xtian vision pretty accurate or is it something else all together?

Sebastian: I don’t fucking care. The Xtians are not right about anything…

What does the future hold for you guys?  More albums and perhaps some more touring?  I noticed you start your Hrimthusrum tour the day I am composing these questions.(29 Sept 06)  Where would you like to tour if you could that you have never been?

Sebastian: Asia would be cool. In a couple of weeks we play at the Arnheim Metal Meeting in Holland. We are at this moment making plans for next year but nothing is set yet.

Any last words of black hate?

Sebastian: Death to all!!!