The Lodge @ Setherial Interview

Setherial
an interview with Kraath

Unlike other Swedish bands, Setherial has been around since the mid-nineties and have been keeping it real ever since. As a musician, how do you feel about creating and performing Black Metal for such a long time and do you envision yourself doing so for another ten years? You also seem to be prolific in other instruments (other than the guitar), so tell me a bit about your musical background, and how were you drawn to Music in the first place.
I feel very good about what we have accomplished musically over the years with Setherial and the way things feel right now I can certainly see myself doing this for another ten years. I’ll be continuing to play Black Metal as long as I find it rewarding on a creative and musical level. My main instrument is the guitar, but I have had some chances to explore other instruments as well over the years. I’ve done some keyboard work as well as some bass. I wouldn’t call myself a very accomplished keyboardist though, as my strengths lie in the stringed instruments. As for my musical origins, I started out as a singer before I really played instruments seriously. I had a guitar at home but I never saw myself as a guitar player back then - singing was the main focus at that point. I then started leaning more and more towards the guitar until it became my main focus musically and singing took a backseat. I can’t say exactly at what point I realised that I wanted to be a musician, but it’s something that’s been present almost as far back as I can remember.

Most of the time, players in your sphere are involved in side-projects, and I know this to be your case, so tell me about your related endeavours (past and present) and how do you find the time and energy to make it all happen?
There have been a few projects over the years, some known and others unknown to all, except a chosen few. The most well known is probably Blackwinds, a project I did a 7” with back in 1999 in collaboration with Zathanel and Mysteriis. Blackwinds will actually release an album later this year, but I’m not as involved in that project anymore as I was back then. I currently have a band called Division Hate on the side of Setherial, but we haven't really released anything yet. As for the time factor it isn’t really a problem as other projects will have to wait when things are hectic with Setherial, the other guys in Division Hate are in full understanding of the situation so there are no problems, really. The energy is easy to find, nothing else gives me the kind of satisfaction that creating music and performing it does, after all.

Your debut album, Nord, has been regarded by many as Setherial's most outstanding and awe-inspiring record in the band's career. From a broader perspective, this might seem quite ironic and far-fetched to you - not only as a member, but also from a musician's viewpoint? But grabbing the issue here, how was it (for you) to be a part of the recording process and to be at the Abyss Studio working with Peter Tägtgren?
I respect the fact that many people have a special bond to the Nord album and I’m still proud of what we achieved when we recorded it back in 1995. I might not always agree that it should be regarded as our best album ever, but it’s up to each and every listener to judge for themselves. The recording of Nord was a special time in many ways: firstly because working in a professional studio was rather new to us at the time, so there were many lessons learned during those nine days. I remember spending quite a lot of time in solitude during the recording, just working on the lyrics and preparing for the vocals.
Peter is a good guy and was pretty easy to work with as far as I remember.

Much like Nord, Death Triumphant was also recorded at the Abyss Studio, but this time, the music offers more depth and scope, as well as range and intricacy. How was it like to work there this time and also for such a short period (two weeks)? Consequently, how did you like the way the mix and master processes turned out at Necromorbus Studio and was this option a result of possible distress from the Abyss Studio sessions?
The good thing about recording the album in Abyss was that we had 24-hour's access to the studio. We were recording almost constantly throughout the two weeks we spent there, working in shifts more or less. This was great in the sense that something was always happening, progresses were being made on the album at all times.
The Necromorbus mix turned out great I think. The first mix we did right after recording the album in Abyss felt like it was missing something, but the final result turned out to be very satisfying, I think.

Setherial were signed to Napalm Records for nearly ten years, but eventually things took a turn, since you inked a deal not so long ago with Regain Records (formerly known as Wrong Again Records), so what happened that caused this turn of events and how satisfied are you with your new partnership so far? In addition, tell me if there are any artists on Regain Records that you find related to.
We had just come back from a break from the band, and it felt to us within the band like were actually starting all over again in a sense. The change of label was in a way an extension of that fresh start, as well as a wish to have a label in the same country to make communication easier. I think the collaboration with Regain Records has worked out rather well so far: we’ve done two albums with them now and I have no real complaints about their work for us. I don’t know if related is the right word, but I enjoy several of the bands on the Regain Records roaster; you’ve got bands like Marduk and Behemoth among others there, so there’s a lot of quality there right now. I don’t know if there’s any band I feel related to in that sense anywhere in the scene really, we’ve been part of this culture for such a long time by now that I view Setherial as a band that stands firmly on its own accomplishments, without reference to others. It’s not that I see us as better than others, just as unique in our own right.

Some bands within Black Metal have always gravitated from such issues as Satanism, Devilry, Witchcraft and, in some cases, Nationalism, but many have only just flirted with these concepts, without ever grasping them in a profound way. Still, Setherial have always seemed to be pretty wholehearted and genuine in comparison, so I was wondering if you could tell me about the genesis of your contempt for institutionalised religion (which the band seems to be pretty adamant about) and how do you look upon organisations like Anton LaVey's Church of Satan?
To me organised religion represents everything that is wrong with humanity at this day and age. By adhering to principles that’s been dictated by an outside source people, are letting go of the control of their own judgments and thought process. The human race has one definite pillar of strength and that is our intellect. By choosing not to fully use that strength, they are making themselves into something that is in fact less than human. I have a hard time with any kind of mass hysteric form of expression, be it religious, political or other. I am a firm believer of the strength of the individual mind and the search for personal fulfilment and that’s why I detest such things as organised religion with such passion.
The Church Of Satan has its points, but I need no church or organisation to tell me to follow my own mind and wishes. In a way it’s a bit of a contradiction to even call it an organisation - how do you really organise something that’s meant to be individual after all?

In essence, Satanism means Adversity, which can also be a form of Freedom (depending on how you look at it). However, most bands, associates and even enthusiasts within Metal (or Black Metal, if you will), always tend to follow certain rules, ethic codes and behaviour standards in order to be accepted and, therefore, to feel good about themselves; nevertheless, this is quite contrary to the essence of the aforementioned notions I referred. In your opinion, don't you think this leads to stagnation in opposition to evolution (as a natural step from independent thinking)?
In a way you’re right. There are people who think way too much about the opinions of others within the scene and how any given action would be perceived by this and that person. In the long run it might lead to stagnation, but I think that there will always be people breaking new ground and exploring new things within the context of Black Metal. It is quite strange that this phenomenon is as common as it is in a genre that represents strength and individuality, really - I don’t know why that is. I think most underground movements tend to want things to be rebellious while staying the same though - even if that in itself is a contradiction.

Recently, Sweden has lost one of the greatest bands in the country: Dissection. How did Jon Nödtveid's suicide affect you personally (if at all) and were you acquaintances before (or merely colleagues)? And tackling the matters of Suicide and Assisted Suicide (Euthanasia), how do you look and feel upon them (have you ever considered any)?
It was a loss in the sense that he was a very accomplished musician and songwriter, but I never met him, so I had no personal or emotional ties to the fact that he ended his life. I have personally never considered taking my own life; I have far too many things I want to achieve first for that to be an option for me. Nevertheless, I respect the right of the individual to end his/her life whenever he/she wants to do so. I think it should be a basic right to be able to decide such fundamental things about your existence.

Not quite saving the best for last, but I would like you to end this interview by telling me something about your recent alliance with Portugal's Icon Music Agency (in relation to live shows' management), as well as your future plans for Setherial and assorted assignments.
We’ve begun a collaboration with Icon Music Agency for an upcoming tour this fall and I hope that it will come out well for both us and them in the end. It’s hard to really say anything about the situation right now though, as we haven’t played any shows through them yet, so we don’t know if things are great or not so great. I have great hopes for the tour though.
Besides the tour, we’re working on new material for our sixth album, but we haven’t set a date for the recording of it yet.

www.setherial.com

© 2007 The Lodge

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