Watain – The Dark Side

For those who have read our review, you already know we believe Watain’s (Sweden) latest offering « Sworn to the Dark » is a true black metal masterpiece and is certainly one of the best extreme metal records of 2007. We have contacted vocalist & bassist Erik Danielsson to answer our (many) questions. And the least we can say is that the man is…brutally honest! Erik is well-known for being very passionate about his band, his music and all the philosophy/ideology that goes with it. This interview can only prove that.

Warning: the following interview will probably raise a few eyebrows or maybe even shock some people. Disobedience Webzine would like to state two things. First of all we insist on the fact that we are a non-political collective, which means all statements from bands we interview are their own. We do not defend nor are we opposed to these statements. Secondly we insist on adopting, as much as we can, professional and journalistic ethics, which means leaving everybody a chance to express themselves. We are kindly asking our readers to at least respect Erik’s opinion and view on all matters. This is a free country, and we sure won’t shut any mouths (as long of course as it remains musically linked, this is no debate area!). All are free to agree or not on Erik’s statements, but we decided to let the man speak freely. We’re thanking everyone in advance for their understanding and respect.

Mastema (Disobedience): Hi Erik. Watain just released an (in our opinion) amazing album on Season of Mist records, « Sworn to the Dark», and I think there’s a good chance we’ll here a lot of you guys in the future, but right now lots of people aren’t really aware of Watain’s history so far. How would you describe Watain’s first years? How would you describe your music?

Erik (Watain): Watain has existed in flesh now for 9 cursed years, slithering like a raging serpent through the black metal scene with fire in the eyes and Death in the heart… Much can be said about our being and its different phases, but if one is truly curious I suggest him to get our albums or attend one of our shows, which in the end are the only real reflections of what we are. Words are not enough to portray the boundless darkness and limitless malice and magic which is manifest in our work. But to put it simple, Watain performs Black Metal the real way: dangerous, wilful, passionate and extremely powerful.

M: I read somewhere Watain got its name from a Von song. Is that true?

Erik: Yes, the moniker Watain is taken from a song of the band Von, which back in the early 1990s released the infamous « Satanic Blood » demo which to us is one of the most successful meetings between black metal and black magic. The name Watain has been charged with a lot of power since we adopted it, but its essence probably is best defined by the last line in the lyric to the song in question; “This wicked child lay in shallow crowded graves. This unholy place is where the black sacrifices are performed. Here is where He kills.”

M: What are the memories you kept of the « Rabid Death’s Curse » and « Casus Luciferi » sessions?

Erik: A lot of memories… But they are getting vague. I remember long nights of hunger, magic, expectations, triumph and the glorious feeling of achieving the goals set out. Watain has always been surrounded by a whirl of chaos and strong energies, and especially during the time we are working hard these things are enhanced in their power. Thus the recording sessions are always very special experiences.

M: Okay so let’s now move on to you last creation, « Sworn to the Dark». I must say I think this album is a big step forward, on a musical and production level. What do you think?

Erik: Of course there is much improvement! It would be abominable for a band with such strong intentions as ours not to improve and learn new ways to empower the music. We will never reach a point where we say “this is exactly how far we can take it, we can not get closer to what we want to be now”, because the essence of Watain –from which we were born and unto which we long to return- is something that is far too sinister, inhuman and lethal to be captured in music, or any form of art. It can be sung and written about, one can aim to portray it or to capture it in musical patterns, but in the end all of these things will remain symbols, and symbols are never the same thing as what they symbolize. They are mediums, gateways unto something far greater. Thus “perfection” in the true sense of the word can never be reached, only constantly aimed for. We are wolves, ever hungry, ever wanting. We have no wish to linger at one certain level, life is short, you have to use it by all means it can be used. If we didn’t know that Watain had the potential to alter the course of worlds, we would not have it occupying the main part of our lives. Now, however, we have chosen this path and there is no way back, thus we approached « Sworn to the Dark » with the will of a dictator, the solemn pride of a templar, the determination of a hammer and the endurance of an anvil.

M: You just finished a tour with legends Kreator and Celtic Frost. How did that go? Any particular moments you have in mind? What can people expect from your shows?

Erik: The tour was just finished and I can say that although we met a lot of opposition due to our “controversial nature” we managed to fulfil it in complete and utter victory! Death has once again conquered! Our live shows have always been orgies in blood and fire, because this is simply the way our music looks when it manifests physically. People are so very shocked and “taken aback” by our live performances but then what do they expect? Three blokes smiling in a jogging suit? We are not Deicide for fuck’s sake! True artistry has an essence that shines through everything: music, lyrics, ideals, aesthetics. Watain is a satanic band, it is based upon sinister energy and thus our live shows manifests accordingly. We build upon the stage a temple of panic, chaos, magic and death, showing to the audience the true, ugly face of the horrible abomination that is Black Metal!

We create a whirlpool of energy and power that many people get scared or repulsed by, while others find just what they have always been looking for with a band like us.

M: Touring with those two bands is a real treat, isn’t it? What is your personal opinion on Kreator and Celtic Frost? The latter, especially, is considered as a major influence on Scandinavian black metal, a true legend one would say. Do you share that opinion?

Erik: Touring with Celtic Frost has always been a dream and when they personally invited us to join the package there was not much to argue about, we just went for it. They have always been of huge inspiration for us and especially their uncompromising way of not distancing themselves from the darkness in their music is something we definitely admire and can relate to. Truly one of the last standing bands in this genre that still manages to uphold a genuine sinister aura without the hint of a smile.

M: It seems to me things are really hitting off with Watain: record deal with Season of Mist, brilliant production, a lot of excellent reviews (including us!), tour with Kreator and Celtic Frost, and I read on your Myspace page Watain will be headlining Norway’s Inferno Festival… You can’t deny Watain moved a few levels up in very little time! What do you think about all this and about the future of Watain?

Erik: I think it is natural for a band that knows what they want and possesses the will to power to reach far and wide. This, and the fact that the metal genre is not exactly spoiled with bands that has such passion and integrity behind their work as we do, is the reason for our “success”. Metal fans are tired of the lazy, vision-less cuntbands who keep on pestering them with their worthless shit releases that have no intention or fire behind them whatsoever. I quit my work years ago in order to be able to focus only on Watain, we live and breathe this band 24 hours a day and this is something that bears fruit in the end. To every action there is a reaction. And still, things have only just begun.

M: Now you know a lot of the so-called “true black metal” addicts seem to think black metal and success don’t ever match. What’s your opinion on that particular matter and on “true black metal” in general?

Erik: We are fully aware of that this way of juvenile “thinking” is very central among followers of black and death metal, and in a way I can still relate to it due to the fact that most bands that have gotten “big” did so because they adapted themselves to general preference, and put aside their own spiritual will (if they ever had any in the first place). That is however not the case with Watain. We know ourselves well enough and have enough integrity and character to keep from getting infected by materialistic ideals of the music industry. People must understand that we have always aimed to reach as far as possible, every decision we take must be equal to another step upon our conqueror path. Do you think « Sabbath Bloody Sabbath » would have been a better and more potent album if it had been a one copy demo that Tony Iommi played for his best friends at special occasions only? Or would Mona Lisa have been more of a masterpiece had it hung unseen in Da Vinci’s basement? Great art crafted with true intention, will and anger is meant to reach far! Slayer already understood it in 1983: Evil has no boundaries! We have no doubts when it comes to the potency of our creations, neither are we ashamed of them! Thus we have no wish to limit their accessibility, which I can understand if many other bands have. If I would play shit-music I would also want to limit my releases to 20 copies “only for true die hards”.

M: Watain’s a Swedish black metal band, evolving in a style not that far from Dissection, you played live with them, and Set Teitan (former Dissection) also plays live guitar for Watain. So what do you think of Dissection’s early exit due to Jon Nödveid’s suicide? Some could say, purely music-wise, that Watain might take over from Dissection now, what do you think about that?

Erik: It seems that people will never stop thinking about what band goes in whose footsteps, how close a sound is to another and other things that in the end are completely irrelevant in relation to the great abomination from which both Dissection and Watain were born out of. Watain and Dissection do indeed have a lot in common as bands, both musically and spiritually, and while their earthly activity has seized we carry on the torch. Both bands have always been aiming to be nothing but themselves, following their own sinister path. This is something that people should be very grateful for, considering how uncommon such an attitude is in this sheep-flock of scene.

M: What is your opinion on today’s black metal scene? What do you think of the old bands’ evolution? And do you listen to some new bands (if so, which?)?

Erik: We care only for a very few other bands in this genre. Some of the very few currently active bands whose activities we follow with interest are those on N.E.D, Nifelheim, Angelcorpse, Deströyer666, Adorior, Negative Plane and Mortuary Drape. But other than that there is not much in Black/Death Metal that interests us. Most other bands and people are too busy sticking to the ideals of others and following them like blind sheep. With that kind of mindset you can not create anything but spiritless shit. This is the problem with the general Black Metal band: they have nothing in common with the darkness of which they sing, and they do not long to have it either. The Dark side demands sacrifice, in one form or another! It demands hard work, intelligence, force and Will. There’s nothing Satanic in playing music, neither in wearing an inverted cross as long as the only thing it means for you is “Black Metal”. Black Metal is indifferent to the music of Abba unless it is activated and charged with sinister Power. If one tries to make a fire with water instead of gasoline, the result is obviously –at best- equal to excrement. This is why the black metal scene appears to me like a big swarm of flies around shit. The Black Metal we want to inspire people to produce, if any, must be built upon the pillars of chaos, madness, lawlessness and boundless darkness! Fuck the world and its futile currents, and let’s make art that is timeless and world-less!

M: Back to the band: who writes the lyrics in Watain, and what are the main themes developed on « Sworn to the Dark »?

Erik: I write all the lyrics for Watain, lyrics that have always been connected by one thing: Satanism. As it is the foundation stone of my life, it is also that of my lyrics. The lyrics on “Sworn to the Dark” deal to a great extent with the path of becoming. The dark and fiery road leading away from god, into the great unknown. In that sense they are some of the most personal lyrics that I have ever published, as they deal mostly with my own experiences and religious work. But it is far from a simple diary beneath the surface, the lyrics took me over three years to compose and they contain a lot of depth that I think anyone with a heart of black fire will appreciate. Apart from the lyrics that I have composed we also used two guest lyricists on the album. The first song of the album –“Legions of the Black Light” which dedicated to Jon Nödtveidt and his legacy- was written by Set Teitan from Dissection who is now playing guitar with us live. One of the strongest lyrics I have ever sung! “Darkness and Death” was written by Belfagor of Ofermod back in 1998 for an album whose release was prevented because of Belfagor being sent into prison. It is a brilliant lyric perfectly portraying the genius madness of Ofermod that has inspired Watain immensely.

M: Do you guys already have some plans for the future? Have you already started writing anything new yet?

Erik: I wouldn’t want to keep your readers lying sleepless in fear at night, would I? Let’s just say we have a lot of interesting things coming up! Most of 2007 will however be devoted to the “Fuck the World” tour. So those who are tired of horror movies and would like to get a glimpse of the real Dark side are encouraged to come and join us on tour…

M: Let’s end with a corny question: why can nobody match Scandinavians when it comes to black metal? It seems to be a well-hidden secret!

Erik: I think it comes from a rich background, with bands like Candlemass, Bathory, Grotesque, Morbid, Treblinka, Nihilist, Carnage and Merciless in your history you wouldn’t really want to lower the artistic level of things. Sadly it seems like it’s only us and Nifelheim who thinks that way in Sweden today. I mean compare the extremely few good bands from Sweden nowadays with the days when bands like those previously mentioned ruled the scene. It has truly degraded, but luckily there are still bands like us to show people how the fuck this should be done properly! We have come with fire and it is up to you if you want it to light your path or if you want to get burnt. But one thing is sure: none shall escape the flames…

M: Thank you very much, Erik, and good luck with Watain, man.

_{Thanks to Sabiene from Season Of Mist for making this interview possible.
Interview, introduction and editing by Mastema.}

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