These Portugese metallers are so underrated in the UK
it's ridiculous. When you read this interview with vocalist Fernandez,
conducted at a local gig on September the 24th (Cathouse - Glasgow), you will hopefully
realise that he is a really cool guy and not stuck up as he sounded in the Metal Hammer
interview I read. Give them a listen. |
Most of the tracks on the new album have a
lot of snake imagery. What is the significance of the snake?
Like in all the other Moonspell albums and inventions, I always used in my lyrics a little bit of the
animal metaphor to represent man because I think it's a common point that can represent
man to the extent that other metaphors cannot. The snake is the Christian symbol for sin
and for at the same time enlightenment, and we just used very much this reptile thing
because I think it represents very much the condition of Man in the 90s. I think Man does
not walk anymore, it crawls instead, and I think we've come to a point where the serpent
represents us now more than ever and that's why the snake is used in a lot of different
ways in the album, especially on '2econd Skin' and in 'Magdelene' because it's a symbol that I'm really connected with.
You're very popular in Europe. Why do you
think you've only just started to make an impression in the UK?
The UK is always a hard nut to crack because only through
underground means do people get knowledge of bands that are not English or American. I
think the English scene is still orientated by the nationality of the bands rather than by
their talent. It's very hard in the UK. We've played here very often, and I wouldn't say
that our popularity is much bigger than it was in 93 or 94. I think we should give it this
last chance, this tour, where we are bringing a bit more of our production and our show
and lets see what happens in the UK.Things are not as bad as they used to be for Moonspell - at least people recognise the
name now.
Now that magazines are starting to give you a wee bit
of coverage.
Yeah, maybe not for the right reasons, but they're
definitely starting to talk about Moonspell because there was a lot of coincicences in our recent past that the UK
press (especially) really strives for - I mean sensationalistic things.
You have many other creative outlets apart
from Moonspell, and at times it seems as though you prefer the response you get from your
other projects than from Moonspell. Does that mean that at some point you'll not want to
continue with Moonspell any more?
Yes definitely, because I think that we have a very loose relationship with our own band.
What Moonspell does not want and
what I do not want for Moonspell
is to drag ourselves throughout the years and trying to impose something that maybe people
or ourselves have no interest in. We have this kind of comprimise - either we have an
extreme addiction to what we do or we would split the band up if it was not interesting
for us. About my other projects, by the fact that I'm doing Moonspell, I'm not forbidden by myself from doing other stuff. I have other
interests in life, and when I have the free time to do it I'll do it - that was the case
with Daemonarch, that was the
case with the theatre plays, and that is the case with my forthcoming book - it's just to
keep myself busy and to avoid the idea that I'm always limited to being in Moonspell.
When Moonspell first started, how long did
it take you to get signed and how difficult was it?
Pretty difficult when you consider that we come from
Portugal which is a country that had absolutely no tradition in extreme rock or extreme
dark music. We started back in late '88 as another project called Morbid Goth and that was the hardest time to
get the stuff together because the music was not really popular in Portugal, and when the
music is not really popular there is a lot of side-effects going on like music shops
refusing to sell instruments when you play Metal. Everyone resuses you to be in their
studios because it is not taken seriously enough. We had about three years like this with Morbid Goth, a lot of different lineups, but
it took until '92 to get our first song on a compilation album, and two ears later we
signed a one-off deal with ??? Records from France that allowed us to do a mini-CD, where
every other band from the same generation as Moonspell was doing vinyl albums or 7" singles which were very popular at that
time - we had one with demo tracks. It was not easy. It's much easier to get signed now
because there's a lot of competition between labels, and it's esier like everything in the
90s to get sorted out. As Moonspell it took us two years to get signed, and the other project which
originated Moonspell was five or
six years.
We don't really know much about your
previous albums before Sin - how has your sound progressed?
In our opinion very much, in other people's opinion
not at all. When we did the first album we always strived to keep something from our
roots. The first album was really over the top, your first real album, your first real
studio, your first real budget, and as the mini-CD was limited by time, we had only 21
minutes to contain a lot of enthusiasm and to contain a lot of ideas. You can find
anything like dark inspired satanic metal. 'Wolfheart' was just going
mature on this concept, it's an album that's very different. We definitely started to get
more of an identity with the previous album 'Irreligious'. It still has
the same basic feelings that we try to put in each song. 'Sin' for us is
our most perfect approximation of what we wanted to do in 97/98.
Are you still happy with all the things you're
recorded in the past?
Yes I think so. Of course there will be things in my
life that I would change definitely, but I think it's just a waste of time in your life to
look back with a destructive feeling in your own creations. I think that each time it has
fitted what we wanted to do at that time
How has the tour been going so far?
It's surprisingly going very well. We started to
have some problems with the German press which if one of the best selling territories we
have, but we welcome them to the show and they enjoy the show because it's quite different
from what people are expecting. The English dates are hard, we don't pull a lot of people
- it's actually sometimes very frustrating but we just take any show seriously. The best
thing on tour is that we've reached a level of performance and we haven't gone down so far
which is very good for the band
Anathema are
headlining the UK leg of the tour...
I'm not paranoid about this headliner stuff, because
in this case what counts and what brings people into the shows is the combination of the
bands. Anathema are headlining
these UK dates with us, and we are headlining the rest of the European tour for obvious
reasons. We feel comfortable playing last or playing first as long as we have out
conditions met and can extend our show to the limits we want.
When you're away from home on tour, is there
anything that you miss?
Yes, a lot of stuff, but I think I miss things more
that I wouldn't do at home that I would do on tour than things that I do at home and do
not do on tour if you get my point. On tour you have to be very open, you can't have much
of a private life which I'm totally obsessed about and that's definitely what I miss more.
{incomprehensible gibberings}. I don't think I'll ever get used to being on tour. Touring
for me is just the ability of playing live onstage, the rest for me is really very dull
and boring.
What was the last gig you went to?
I've been to a lot of gigs recently because we've
played a lot of festivals in Europe especially, and I got the chance to see some really
good bands. The last band I saw while in the audience (in Portugal) was Tindersticks - I was completely amazed by the
sound.
What are the last three albums you've
bought?
I bought Tool, the last one. I bought the Rob Zombie solo album, and Monster Magnet - Powertrip.
What band do you most respect and why?
Well that has to be Bathory from Sweden, this underground black metal band. Much of the Moonspell existance is due to Bathory. I met Quothorn in
'88 and I was so impressed by his honesty towards his music that I formed a band myself,
so to give them the proper credit it should be Bathory definitely.
If you could choose any band in the world to
have never existed, who would it be?
Tough question. Let me think of a band I really
hate: Atrocity from Germany
should never have existed.
Any particular reason?
They sucked!
 Back to
top |
Kevin |
The following questions were answered, rather briefly, by Alex Hellid on November the 16th - the release date of their 'Same Difference' album. |
What's the dog all about?
It's Peter's dog and it needed a home and Peter named it Quorthon!
There's a definite Neurosis influence on the
new record, especially on the opening track, was that deliberate?
We did a tour with them and they were awesome and we always steal
from the ones we love.
You said before that you were not happy with
the production you had received before, which is why you changed the studio and producer,
are you happier with your sound this time round?
We just wanted to try something new and for the sound to a bit more
dynamic. The last album was a little messy sounding when you turned it up loud. This one
sounds better the louder you play it and you can still hear what's going on.
The new sound definitely lets you expand
your horizons a bit, but for the few tracks which are still old Entombed style it perhaps
does not do them justice. What do you think?
I listened to "To ride..." the other day and I definitely
prefere the sound on the new album. We always try to move alittle with every album.
Did you feel your songwriting was restricted
by Nicke?
No
Do you think that Entombed is still a
suitable name for you?
If you got a better one we'll gladly change.
Will you be touring heavily again next year?
Yes. Scandinavia - Nov/dec, Europe/UK - Jan/Feb/Mar,
Australia, Japan, US, S. America, etc...
When will you be touring the UK / Scotland?
We'll be coming early in the new year and probaly
play Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Who was better to support: Machine Head or
Type O Negative?
Both were great to us.
How did you enjoy the Ozzfest? I was a bit
knackered during your set because Slayer had just come off, but I was up at the front
anyway.
It was a bit intimidating going on after Slayer but
we had an alright show and I watched pretty much every other band drinkng wine. Had a good
time.
Will we be seeing another album late next
year / early 2000 ?
That's the plan, but it depends on how much touring
we end up doing.
So many bands / record companies these days
are just out to totally rip off their fans: singles with 3 different CD versions,
re-releases marketed at people who already have the original, putting a live track and a
remix on b-sides etc. Entombed have thankfully been very good value for money up till now,
with EPs containing many new tracks or new versions of current tracks (Hollowman /
Wreckage / Earache compilation etc). Will you be as considerate to your fans in the
future, and most importantly please tell us what you think of the money grabbing bastards
I have described above.
I hope they die a slow death and rot in hell!
What do you think of the following: Backyard
Babies, Coal Chamber, Orange Goblin.
Great, Awesome, Superb!!!
Thanks for your time, I hope you have a good gig
tomorrow night, which also just happens to be my 21st birthday. Anyway, keep it up lads!
Happy birthday to you Kevin! C - ya soooooooooooooooooooon!
| Back to
top |
Kevin |