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| Erik ""E" Danielsson of Watain |
M- Hello Erik, how are you?
E.D- Well it’s been an interesting times, we’re supposed to go to USA, but once again the land of the free made it a bit complicated, and we’re not leaving until Sunday. Everything’s upside down here, just came back from a rehearsal.
M- It seems that Watain is one of the strongest forces in modern Black Metal. Spearheading the motion of oldschool Black Metal revival joined by other bands such as Taake and others, what is your opinion of the modern Black Metal scene?
E.D- With the risk of sounding like an asshole, I care less about it. I think everyone has a certain amount of focus that you can spend on different things in life. I think doing this stuff for 13 years, my focus has become stronger and stronger and more focused on Watain. Which, in turn has become something that is now a world in it’s own. It’s a music genre in it’s own to me. That in turn makes me less and less interested in what other Black Metal bands do and yeah, when it comes to Black Metal, I’ve been there when the greatest bands were around. When Dissection were there and Nifelheim were there, with their original line up. I’ve seen, from my point of view, the most interesting things I wanted to see. I consider myself blessed for having been a part of all of this. I, the way I focus on Black Metal is from a Watain prospective. What we can do to make the art form progress in the right direction, I cared much more about the BM perspective before Watain, or when it was on its way to become what is. The greater Watain becomes in my life, the greater meaning it has, the less everything else means to me. Then again, I’m still sitting here in my Sarcofago shirt. It’s strange, I don’t know if I get my point across.
M- So you consider yourself completely separate from Black Metal? Is there no connection whatsoever?
E.D- I will always consider Black Metal to be one of the most potent and interesting forms of art in this age, just like everyone else who has a bit of intelligent I can see the many mistakes that happened in the movement and the many flaws. It’s a genre that consists of a lot of cry babies and children and people who desperately want to be a part of something that their not. But BM is also the most interesting subculture, and it has the most genuine artists in the music world. It’s always two sided to me, and will always mean much to me.
M- What is the mission statement of Watain? What do you seek to accomplish with the band?
E.D- I see it like this, being in Watain, for me personally, has changed everything. It allows me to live outside of the common worldd. In the Watain universe, rather than the human universe, so to speak. That is Watain’s most important meaning to me. It gives me a platform to live and breathe from. It is a place of freedom for me, where I can live and breathe the way I want to. The goal is to maintain that world, to make it glimmer and burn bright. To make it as important and meaningful as possible. We’re at a point now, where I feel Watain is right where it should be. The goal is in itself to maintain who we are, and to maintain the journey and the path we have chosen. Because I think a lot of people have a tendency to stray and be misled from the path in life, and I myself, don’t see any other way. I don’t see a way to be led from where I am now. The goal is to continue and live like this as long as I can, and to give it all I can.
M- I appreciate the sense of Idealism in a way, for example, we ran an interview with Shining which a lot of people raised their nose against and called “poser.” It’s sad that people can’t embrace an ideal which is bigger than themselves
E.D- The common man will always be a bit afraid of idealism. Be afraid of people with a strong mindset, afraid of difference, afraid of people who don’t follow the common herd. That’s proof of that, what I’m doing or what Niklas is doing is right, someone said that “ you can measure the quality of your life and the relevance by the amount of antagonism you have to face.” I think that’s a very interesting way to look at that.
M- what does the dark represent for you? “Lawless Darkness” for me I took as the evil without boundaries, do you support evil without boundaries?
E.D- I think that the question of good and evil is one that has to be deeply compensated in the heart of every man. You have to make up what you yourself consider good and evil, what’s interesting with darkness is that it doesn’t demand the same kind of questioning . Darkness is always undefined, and is always unexplored, and the things that exist in darkness can be anything because they are not yet defined. They have the potential to be anything, that anyone who takes part of that darkness can take the power to create. Light is something that defines, something that dwells in the light is entirely defined and has its shape and form, and it is what it is. It’s built by the law, it’s restricted by what you see. It’s a deep subject, it’s hard to tell you this all in a concise matter, but what attracted me about darkness is the everlasting potential that it can be anything and nothing. While anything that is in the light is already done and created, and is , therefore in my eyes, pretty empty.
M- How is it different to be a part of such an extreme and different religious school of thought in a day to day life? How does it effect you personally?
E.D- I mean Satan is the antagonist and the opposer. What is being opposed is the stagnation of society and the status quo, the upholding of law and order. What that means, on a physical material level, is living outside of society. Trying to have as little to have and do with the social and moral codes of society. What it all comes down to is that Satanism is based on the flame of the spirit. The flame has no other law than that of itself. That’s what it means to me in my daily life. I don’t consider myself the follower of any law other than my own, my fire , which is also the fire of the devil. I think a lot of people would call my life quite a hard life, quite far away from what people consider a normal life. I always move around, I never worked. There’s a freedom to it, which doesn’t exist in a commoners life. If you don’t consider yourself a member of society and a follower of law, then you’re going to have problems. The lives of Satanists are harsh and most will be unable to live like that.
M- Where do you take the influences for your music? Both musically and non musically of course
E.D- Of course I get inspired from the music I listen to when it comes to writing. I can be very influenced by emotions and by music a lot. But the thing is one has to realize is why they inspire me is because that they talk to my heart. I get inspired by music that reflects what I feel, which in turn means what I express is what’s inside my heart. I donno, it’s hard. The whole process of writing music and writing lyrics is to me still today, after many years of doing it, it’s still something very unconcrete. It’s something that’s hard to define and talk about. It’s a very intimate process. It is something that’s always been there. The need to express myself has always been there, I can’t say what it’s there that’s pushing me. It’s just something I have to do.
M- what are you listening to recently? What modern bands have striked your fancy? I know my countrymen, Behemoth, are your touring partner as well as In Solitude and Devil’s Blood…
E.D- Behemoth to me, is more interesting artisticly than musically. Their sound is not my cup of tea, but I really like the way they do things. I like that they’re an aspiring bands. They have artistic values in them still, it’s not just bullshit. But I can say that I’m really into bands like Devil’s Blood and In Solitude. Their both gonna be on the U.S tour, it’s not so often these days you find bands like these. It’s just I’m older now than I’ve discovered Metal one developes more and more with age. You’re not as easily impressed as you were 15.
M- ah, I’m only 17, but I guess I can’t really compare
E.D- laughs I wish I was 17. Now a days I’m much more critical, but to talk about modern bands. I love In Solitude, Devil’s Blood, they have more satanic spirit than most BM bands of today. I tend to listen mostly to old music, when it comes to new music it’s those two bands.
Since when have you been a Satanist? Since what age do you feel a connection with him?
To be completely honest, lets put it like this, I’ve had music as far back as I can remember. Music in the sense of that I’ve really listened to it. I’ve had cassettes since I was 5-6 years old t I’ve listened to every day with stuff like the Beatles and others. Even back then it was a way to escape the regular life around me . To reach a higher state of existence although I was far too young to realize it, although that’s how it felt. When heavy metal and extreme metal came into my life I took that feeling and added to it the danger and darkness of Metal music, to make this escape. The world I started to escape into and to explore was the fiery wilderness of heavy metal. It was never a question that I one day realized that it had to had a spiritual connection, I always saw it like that. It’s always been the case, it’s a bridge between this world and something else. When I started getting into Black & Death Metal, I was already into all things related to anarchy, darkness and fire. It was all that I liked. Finally I found music that embodied it and placed it in a god like position. Of course when you reach the age of 12 and 13 , people started to make up their own minds, and by then I was deeper into all these things. By then I was already a fascinated teenager. But it was important to me to define those things, and feelings that I felt, it was important to define and name my feelings. The symbols and images and feelings of satanic nature appeal to me more than anything else. They are what I’ve been looking for.
M- Also, what inspires you to write your lyrics? And how do you feel you have developed as a writer from the days of The Essence of Black Purity all the way to Lawless Darkness?
E.D- I think it’s like this, in the beginning we had one hammer of pretty shitty quality and ten names. So we had to build something with that , and as we developed as a band we developed our tool box. We took everything from pliers and rope and fire and spirit into everything else into that tool box. Now we have that arsenal of tools to say the same things we said back then, you acquire more skills the older you get and music you write. It’s just a different state of progression and you come to handle your tools as you grow as an artist. It comes to the fact your able to express yourself more concretely and more distinguished than when you were younger .
M- How do you feel Watain’s stage show supports the music? Is it another vehicle of expression? Do you feel it helps bring people to the light- or the dark, about Watain?
E.D- To me it’s like, what we do on the stage is a concert, like everyone else we have amps and instruments and P.A, but the concept of the rock concert has been almost the same since the 60’s. It’s always been some guys on stage playing their songs. Then some bands tried to do a more theatrical approach. With Watain we feel a bit like we want to expand and progress the concept of a rock concert into something more. I think it could be so much more, and that is why we include ceremonial and ritualistic ingredients we make it so called “theatrical” I say dramatic. It’s very visual. To me nothing else makes any sense really, a Watain concert can be really a direct visual representation of what you hear. We aim to take those ideas as far as we possibly can.
M- what are some of your favorite places to preform? What shows bring you the most pleasure and challenge as a band? Any particularly memorable moments?
E.D- It’s a classic thing, I enjoyed performing in front of people that are not used to see what their seeing. I enjoyed playing for people who are genuinely interested and respect what they see on stage and ready to open up. This kind of audience you usually find in countries that are a bit less liberal. Countries that in society has a tight grip around the citizen. Like U.S.A, one of the worst countries that I know politically and religiously, yet it’s one of the most rewarding countries to play in. You play in front of people who are so relieved to be played infront of by bands like Watain, who go against what they know. Also like in Eastern Europe and South America. A heart that yearns to break free, it’s very rewarding to play infront of these people.
M- Watain seems to be a very tightly knitted pack, from Pelle “P” Forsberg and Håkan “H” Jonsson, how do you keep things together all these years? Does the same power that propel you propel them?
E.D- I think what kept us together, has a lot to do with our background. When we were all initiated into the black metal movement, years before Watain, we realized pretty quickly that this was something we will be a part of for the rest of our lives. We took things pretty seriously and not like some hobby on the side. The more Watain grows into a world, there’s no really difference between Watainand our lives. Watain is our lives. We always think , even if we don’t want to, what life would be like without Watain. I think even if we wanted to, it’d be hard. Our common view of Watain as something that, is really our lives. It’s be had to get away from.
M- A lot of musicians in Black Metal write Satanist lyrics without knowing shit, but you’re the real article. How does it feel to be one of the few real ones? Do you hate the posers?
E.D - To me it’s like, I don’t know how else to look it at then it’s just a bunch of kids who play around with fire. But the difference is that fire isn’t even real, it’s just in their heads. It’s fire that someone drew on a piece of paper, it’s not a fire that burns. I think it’s waste and of course I get pissed off, because these things mean so much to me. I consider myself to not be one of these loft or confused kids to not be playing with something they don’t understand. Those who play with fire eventually get burnt. If you call death, it’ll come. Death and the Devil might be cool words in Heavy Metal songs, but their also real and existing forces which will manifest if their called upon, I myself have spent my whole life preparing myself and making myself suitable to meet these forces. Those bands aren’t prepared, their children who might any day who might stand face to face with something they might not even survive. That’s the way I see it.
M- so here comes the obvious question, from an Israeli webzine at least. Party San. 2006. Absurd shirts and Heiling. What happened?
E.D - Well, what happened was that one of us was wearing an Absurd shirt, and got into an argument with a writer for Rock Hard magazine. A big fight commenced from the Rock Hard guys. Then it got into kind of a fight, and then two hours later, the same people were buying us drinks in the bar. What happened, was that’s the whole story. But there were a lot of other journalists there, mediawhores who made it into a bigger thing than it was. The latest thing I’ve heard is that we gone onstage during the whole festival show in Absurd tee shirts and heiling. They made a hen out of a feather. People who want to find the devil and can’t find it in any other way than the political ideology that died 50 years ago. For me it feels so unclean to put a political tag on Watain, its done by people who have no conception of what to think. It’s like calling the Church communist, we’re not a political band. We have no facial values.
M- In addition, you are not only a musician, but you do artwork. I heard you were also involved with the writing of Jon “Metallion” Kristiansen’s Slayer magazine compilation and the 20th edition, how do you find the time? Are you driven purely by passion?
E.D- That’s a very good question, the day I know the answer to it I will let you know! I have no fucking idea how I can do all these things…I try not to think about it and “just do it.” Sometimes I realize that this is not going to work, but I don’t, watch football. I don’t go out eating. I don’t go to the movies. I don’t do these things that most people do. This is what I do 24 hours a day.
M- Also, you produce quite kickass artwork, since when have you been drawing?
E.D- Most of the time I work with Collage, and I have very primitive methods which people wouldn’t even believe if they saw the way I do stuff. I basically have a room in the rehersal room, which looks like big creative chaos, which is where I do everything. Most of it is from myself, but sometimes I ask my friends. I cut and paste stuff and steal stuff from here and there.
M- I know Opus Diaboli, your first DVD is coming May 7th, how do you feel about it? how is it different to make your first own DVD? Also, the artwork and movie trailers seem to utilize your artistic expertise.
E.D - It’s a different project in a lot of ways, first of all , I have never done anything movie wise. I recorded a bunch of albums but I’ve never done a movie. It’s an entirely different project it was a much longer process than recording an album. That was different and it was very inspiring, the first thing I thought when it was done is that I want to make another movie. We’re also releasing it ourselves which makes for a lot of new ways of having to do things. It feels very hand made, it feels everything comes straight from the band, even the release itself which is a very special thing to me. I hope people will give it the patience and time it deserves. It’s a pretty heavy mother fucker.
M- yeah, like Big Boss from Root, it’s a pretty heavy mother fucker
E.D- he’s heavy in a while different way laughs
M- Did you feel any different preforming knowing you were being filmed? What is going to be on the DVD other than the performance itself?
E.D- First of all, I didn’t think about the cameras. It’s hard to explain but when were on stage it’s a different thing. I’m somewhere else, I’m happy that it can be that way, it would mean a lot of stress and nervousness otherwise. I end up in a different kind of universe when I’m onstage. I didn’t pay too much attention to the photographers and film crew. The live performance is 40% of the dvd, the rest is other stuff. It’s like a mix, it’s a collage of a lot of different things. Stuff we filmed just for the DVD which is more artistic and ceremonial, and there are a lot of interviews and voice over, spoken words part with interesting footage. Some archive footage from old tours, all the way from the 90’s and up till now, it’s a rich,” spicy” movie, a lot of stuff in there.
and here the phone disconnected….twice, but yours truly remembered the African Americans in the 50’s! “we shall persevere!”
M- Hey Erik! Sorry for all the issues, lets get this done
E.D- it’s fine man, don’t worry about it I’m used to it
M- So, what’s on the nearby horizon for Watain other than what we discussed?
E.DWe’re doing the tour now in the U.S.A, then we have two more festivals in the end of the summer. Which will be the whole ending to the whole Lawless Darkness era. After that it’s, silence and secrecy. We’ve been touring for two years now and a lot before that and we feel that we want to be apart from the world now. And maybe spend time together in ac completely different place, and the only thing I know is that there’s a lot of music written, and a lot of ideas. But other things that people will find pretty interesting. We keep the information within the band and speak when it’s time.
M- Any last words to your fans in Israel, and there are quite a few?
E.D- We have been trying pretty hard to come to Israel and play at some point, I was about to come with Dissection when I played bass with them. I guess after the whole media blow up in 2006 it will be difficult, but I would still really like to do it someday. It would feel a bit like placing a pile of shit on an altar or a church, it would feel very good to do it. Until then, I just hope people will spread the word about us down there and we’ll try to get as many people to understand us you know, because sooner or later we’ll have to come.
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